Nigeria’s Omoruyi, Ekunke celebrate chess milestones after Samarkand Olympiad
Nigeria’s participation at the just-concluded 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, has produced another notable chapter with two members of the national team, Sandra Osarugue Omoruyi and Odey Goodness Ekunke, recognised with major FIDE titles.
Omoruyi is now a Woman Candidate Master (WCM), while teenage sensation Ekunke has attained the Candidate Master (CM) title, adding further recognition to two young Nigerian players making their mark on the international chess scene.
Their achievements were highlighted as Nigeria concluded its campaign at the 11-round Olympiad, which featured 208 teams in the Open section and 192 teams in the Women’s event.
The titles are particularly significant in the context of the progress both players have made. Ekunke, born in 2011, had already established himself as one of Nigeria’s brightest young players before arriving in Samarkand.
In August, he became the inaugural FIDE World Amateur Rapid Chess Champion, scoring 9/11 in Abuja.
At the Olympiad, the youngster again showed his fighting quality, scoring 6 points from 11 games, including victories over players from New Caledonia, Saudi Arabia, Malawi, Guyana and Tunisia, as well as a draw against Cuba’s GM Aramis Alvarez Pedraza.
Omoruyi was equally prominent in the women’s team. She scored 6 points from 10 games, registering six victories, including a crucial win against Syria in the final round. Her performance was one of the stronger individual returns in the Nigerian women’s camp.
Several other members of Team Nigeria also produced noteworthy performances during the championship.
WIM Bridget Michael finished the women’s competition with 5½ points from nine games, while WFM Deborah Quickpen and WFM Michelle Chiamaka Nwankwo both finished on 4½ points.
In the Open section, FM Abdulrahman Akintoye also recorded 5½ points, while IM Odion Aikhoje finished with 4½ points. FM Bomo Lovet Kigigha contributed 4½ points, with Ekunke leading the Nigerian men on six points.
The Nigerian women finished 85th with 11 match points, while the men placed 118th with 10 match points after 11 rounds.
At the top of the competition, Uzbekistan retained the Open title, while China won the Women’s Olympiad, completing an unbeaten campaign with 20 match points.
The emergence of new titled players such as Omoruyi and Ekunke provides another important storyline from Samarkand, alongside the experience gained by the wider national team.
The future of Nigerian chess continues to take shape, one title and one tournament at a time.
