"That Nigeria chess players in 3 Continents - Africa, Europe and the United States are taking part in an Olympiad selection process of this magnitude is very remarkable. This fact alone is what makes everyone involve in the process a winner and not only those who will eventually qualify" .
By Femi Solaja
After four days of brilliant chess display, 12 players (Male and Female) have qualified for the final stage of the World Chess Olympiad trial put together by the Nigeria Chess Federation (NCF) which was rounded up at the National Stadium, Lagos yesterday.
Adebayo Adegboyega, a veteran of several World Chess Olympiad, showed shade of genus in the middle games as he topped 29 others with 5.5 points out of seven games Swiss-round event in the male section out of which six players qualified for the final stage of the trial.
The other five qualifiers in the category are: Benjamin Omorere also with 5.5 points, Kolade Onabogun (5points), Ajibola Olanrewaju, Charles Campbell and Bomo Kigigha all with five points respectively.
In the final crucial game veteran Campbell exploited his better prowess in Nimzo Indian Defence (b6) on move four over youthful John Fawole who failed to keep the tempo in white colour and a dubious h4 move on 48 gave his opponent's light Bishop a wide control of the board and at the brink of time forfeit cause an exchange of Queens but when the smoke was cleared, the young prodigy was a pawn down and surrendered on move 73.
In the female section, the trio of Elizabeth Coker, Tolu Jeje and Uwa Obasi led the final qualification with five points each while Modupeola Adesanya, Folusayo Togun and veteran Rachael-Edward Dappa all picked the remaining slots for a chance in the final Olympiad trial which will come up next month from 13th-17th at the SWAN Secretariat at the National Stadium, Lagos.
The final trial will be a round robin and will produce three players from each category while the two from Nigeria players(male team) in Diaspora will make up the remaining two to complete the five players that will represent the country at the World Chess Olympiad in Dresden Germany in November.
Footnote:1 female player will also emerge from Diaspora to join the female team.
Zone 1: Europe: Date for the trial to be announced soon.
Zone 2: United States: Trial date is August 22nd-25th,2008 in Houston,Texas
PLEASE NOTE: Its no longer 4,2 2 its now 3,1 1.
3 Male chess players from Nigeria, 1 from Europe and 1 from the United States.
Lekan Adeyemi (left) and ?
2.
3 Male chess players from Nigeria, 1 from Europe and 1 from the United States.
Lekan Adeyemi (left) and ?
2.
No comments:
Post a Comment