Monday, August 22, 2005

1ST VMOBILE ULTIMATE CHESS CHALLENGE REACTION


BY ODION AIKHOJE
INTERNATIONAL CHESS MASTER


I just want to make a couple of comments:

1. The new NCF administration seems to be trying to restore the legitimacy of Nigerian chess - but when?There was a promise that the FIDE affiliation issue would be cleared by May and that we would be restored to the fide rating list but I've seen no evidence of this.

2. Based on this, are Nigerian players eligible to compete in the African Individual in Zambia in November, with the FIDE embargo still in place? Likewise, about the VMobile tourney scheduled for next month; if you take a close look at the invitation, etc you'll probably notice that somebody simply made a photocopy of the Zambian invitation and changed the wordings. This does not signify planning of any sort to me, the conditions planned by the Zambian federation for a FIDE zonal will not neccessarily be applicable for a regular domestic tourney. Will the FIDE section be valid with the FIDE block on Nigeria still on?

3. Besides, I am very familiar with the proposed venue -the Golden Gate Restaurant, Ikoyi - and I must say I am not sure the venue will be able to cope with the kind of turn out that this event will surely produce. Well, I hope the tourney holds and is a success, it's just that I am tired of people in Nigeria trying to make business out of chess without any regard to the chessplayers that are meant to participate in whatever event.

4. Finally, I hear the NCF is not involved in the event,is this possible, can such a large scale event hold in the country without the approval/participation of the DOMESTIC REGULATORY BODY FOR CHESS? Well, let us go on. Only time will give us answers to the questions we ask.

3 comments:

M said...

Thanks Odion for this post. I did not know that the same document for the Zambia tourney may have been brushed up and circulated for this tournament.

I think the organizers of the VMobile should listen to the views of the chessplayers on all matters raised and make adjustment for success. We also need to hear from them on the this concerns and many others. They have the Chess players forum to clarify these issues. Afterall, without chess players you will have no chess tournaments.

As for the FIDE rating list, we will have to get with the NCF Chairman to find out what if anything has been done on this issue. Our rated players names should not have been left out of the rating list by our own self inflicted wound. We keep our fingers cross.

Kunle Elegbede

Odirov! said...

We are all chessplayers so there is no need to keep on flogging the issue.
But I must say, I am surprised at Coach Benibo's attitude.
This same mentality of picking up any crumbs offered from anybody is what has put Nigerian Chess in the predicament it is today.
Maybe we should hire some goats and cows that have no freedom of speech or reasoning faculties to participate in any tom dick and harry event with a PROMISE of big money.
We Nigerians always sell ourselves cheap, that's why a lot on people are still in the same place they were 20 years ago.
I have raised logical and pertinent issues, they remain unresolved.
The way forward is not to misuse one's access to a general forum.

NB: In ref to the Zambian Iv; what does the line "GM'S, IM'S, etc have the right to participate" mean in the context of the Vmobile OPEN tournament?
Does it mean free entry? If so, good for me.

Odirov! said...

General information for intending participants: The venue for the Vmobile tourney will now be - The Union Bank Guest House, 41 Bode Thomas Street(Avenue?), Surulere. Lagos.

I have been in touch with the organizers and they say this step is to give a convenient location for chess players, Surulere will be mare accesible for most players.
Thank You, Let's all hope for a great tournament.