The winners emerge as Eko Hotels… TheConclaveNg

By Justina Okpanku

The Indian Language School, Lagos has won the inter-school chess competition, ChessMasters 2026, held recently at the Eko Hotels and Suites Convention Centre.

At the moment, ChessMasters 2026 is considered the biggest inter-school chess tournament in Nigeria.

The Indian Language School had competed alongside 150 schools in Lagos as organizers of Chess Masters 2026 sought to boost youth development and Nigeria’s ambition of producing a Grand Master.

The competition got bigger as the first edition of ChessMasters featured 50 schools and 100 players. The second edition (Chessmasters 2026) had 150 schools with 750 players.

Last Saturday, Lagos-based Ilupeju School Coast won mouth-watering prizes worth N5 million.

He’s not a winner, he takes all types. Second position went to Jareb Private School while Dupeolu Childrenland School took third position, smiling home with N3 million and N2 million respectively.

The organizers and partners emphasized that the game improves critical thinking, problem solving, analytical reasoning and even vocabulary development among children.

One of the coaches, Agoro Siimi, was emotional. “I take them (to schools) where there are chess events. My son is here, he is among the participants. His older brother is well known, he is already a star, but usually I don’t want my children to like publicity,” Agoro said as his son introduced the reporter.

He continued: “Chess is about patience. Keep playing, keep winning and never give up.”
The chess enthusiast (Agoro not only ensured that his son was one of the participants in Nigeria’s biggest school chess event which attracted 750 students, he is also said to have influenced

15 schools will participate in the Chess Masters 2026.

Others have spoken enthusiastically about ChessMasters saying it continues to raise the standard of youth chess in Nigeria.

For them, the event showcased not only the growing popularity of chess among youth, but also its growing recognition as a tool for intellectual development and strategic thinking, pointing to a promising future for chess in Nigeria.

ChessMasters co-founder Caline Chagoury Moudaber, who is also director of Eko Hotels & Suites, expressed enthusiasm for the success of the event, describing the atmosphere as vibrant and full of enthusiasm.

Speaking at the event, which was attended by both teachers, parents and guardians, the founder of Key Academy and co-founder of Chess Masters, Damilola Okonkwo, noted that the competition continues to promote essential 21st century skills, calling for greater integration of chess into school curricula nationwide.

The Vice President of the Nigerian Chess Federation, Prince Adeyinka Adewole, was impressed. He described the turnout as a significant milestone for the sport, nothing more than having hundreds of children competing under one roof without incident reflected strong organization and discipline.

Adewole also stressed that the competition is part of a larger action plan to develop world-class players, including the country’s long-standing ambition of producing a Grandmaster.

According to him, achieving this goal will require greater exposure to international competitions, improved training facilities and sustained investment in grassroots development.

On an individual level, participants said the competition was challenging and rewarding.

A 17-year-old who gave his name simply as Joseph expressed enthusiasm as one of the participants.

His colleague, Devansh Parekh, 10, one of the winners, expressed excitement at securing his first trophy, attributing his success to constant practice and dedication.

Parents and coaches obviously had fun during the day of competition as they gave interviews to the press, excited.

Some of them praised the high level of organization and participation, describing the tournament as an “impressive” and well-organised event.

Stakeholders agreed that ChessMasters 2026 set a new benchmark, reinforcing the role of chess not just as a game, but as a “powerful platform for developing the next generation of thinkers, innovators and leaders.”

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