Chess: Nigeria’s Omoruyi and Ekunke earn FIDE titles after Samarkand Olympics

Nigeria’s campaign at the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan has produced two new titled players, with Sandra Osarugue Omoruyi taking the title of Woman Candidate Master (WCM) and teenage star Odey Goodness Ekunke taking the title of Candidate Master (CM).

Ekunke, born in 2011, was Nigeria’s best player in the Open section with 6 points in 11 matches, including wins over New Caledonia, Saudi Arabia, Malawi, Guyana and Tunisia, and a draw against Cuban GM Aramis Alvarez Pedraza. He had earlier won the first FIDE Rapid Amateur World Championship in Abuja in August with 9/11.

Omoruyi also scored 6 points in 10 games in the women’s section, recording six wins including a crucial finals win against Syria.

Other notable performances saw WIM Bridget Michael score 5 1/2 points in nine games, while WFM Deborah Quickpen and WFM Michelle Nwankwo both finished with 4 1/2 points. In the Open, FM Abdulrahman Akintoye scored 5 and a half points, IM Odion Aikhoje 4 and a half points and FM Bomo Lovet Kigigha 4 and a half points.

The women of Nigeria are done

85th with 11 match points out of 192 teams, while the men placed 118th with 10 match points out of 208 teams.

Hosts Uzbekistan retained their Open title, while China won the women’s event undefeated with 20 match points.