Nigeria’s men’s and women’s teams have recorded one victory and one defeat apiece after the opening two rounds of the 46th FIDE World Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Both teams have two match points from their first two encounters, although their second-round defeats came against higher-rated opposition after impressive opening-round victories.  

Nigeria’s Open team, seeded 84th with an average rating of 2,282, began its campaign in emphatic fashion, sweeping New Caledonia 4-0 in the opening round.

Bomo Lovet Kigigha, Abdulrahman Akintoye Abdulraheem, International Master Odion Aikhoje and Odey Goodness Ekunke all secured victories as Nigeria made a perfect start to the competition. Official Chess-Results records confirm the four individual wins.  

The momentum was halted in the second round when Nigeria faced Kazakhstan, with the African side suffering a 3½-½ defeat.

Aikhoje provided Nigeria’s only half-point after drawing with Daniyal Sapenov, while Abdulraheem, Bartholomew Okhipo and Ekunke were beaten by their respective opponents.  

Following the opening two rounds, Aikhoje leads Nigeria’s individual scoring with 1½ points from two games. Kigigha has one point from his only appearance after sitting out the second round, while Abdulraheem and Ekunke have one point each from two games. Okhipo is yet to register a point from his sole appearance.  

Nigeria’s women followed an almost identical path. Seeded 66th with an average rating of 2,018, they opened with a convincing 4-0 victory over Mali.

Deborah Quickpen, Michelle Nwankwo, Sandra Omoruyi and Bridget Michael were among the players who contributed to the clean sweep as Nigeria collected maximum points in the opening round.  

However, the women encountered a tougher challenge in Round 2 against England, losing 3½-½. Nwankwo was the lone Nigerian to avoid defeat, securing a draw against England’s Jovanka Houska, while Quickpen, Omoruyi and Michael suffered losses.  

Nwankwo is consequently Nigeria’s leading scorer in the women’s section with 1½ points from two games. Quickpen, Omoruyi and Michael have each contributed one point to the team’s tally.  

Despite the setbacks, both Nigerian teams remain in contention with nine rounds still to play in the 11-round tournament. The competition runs through September 27 in Samarkand.  

Nigeria entered the Olympiad with a blend of experienced players and emerging talents, including 15-year-old Ekunke in the Open team and youthful members of the women’s squad. The delegation had earlier set its sights on making a strong impression on the international stage.  

The focus now shifts to the next round, with both teams looking to turn their strong opening victories into a sustained run as the Olympiad progresses. The early results have provided Nigeria with two match points in each section, leaving the teams with considerable ground to cover over the remaining rounds.