Nigerian Players Bag FIDE Titles
By Femi Solaja, 12.28.2009
Even as the country’s brightest chess stars continue their respective preparations for the forth coming Olympiad trials to be organised by the Nigeria Chess Federation (NCF), four players from the contingent that represented the nation at the last World Chess Olympiad in Dresden, Germany 2008 have been awarded with titles by the World Chess Federation (FIDE).
The players, three of whom are debutants at the world tourney are Bomo Kigigha, Benjamin Omorere and Uwa-Chekwas Obasi. While Adegboyega Adebayo, a veteran of several Chess Olympiads bagged FIDE Master title to join the league of several Nigerians players with such honour.
Former Executive Director of FIDE, Emmanuel Omuku was among the early recipients which included Obafunmilayo Agusto.The likes of Fola Akintola, Dapo Adu and Odion Aikhoje, who interestingly is the only Nigerian player with an Olympiad gold medal, all have International Master titles to their honour.
FIDE’s Rating Officer, Irina Bebikova, in an electronic message to the Nigerian Federation from the FIDE office in Elista, confirmed the development and request for the federation’s payment of the titles fees accordingly. The trio of Chekwas, Omorere and Kigigha were all rewarded with Candidate Master title which is the lowest in the rank of all the titles awarded by the World chess body.
From the FIDE Master title, Adebayo, the leading light of Nigerian chess scene today, may use any major international chess tournament including the next Chess Olympiad in Siberia, Russia late next year to move up to the International Master cadre or the ultimate, which is the Grand Master title if only he could gain major norms in the course of the season.
In Dresden, Nigeria’s male team comprised Dapo Adu who played on board one, Omorere on board two, Adebayo on board three, the current National Champion, Kigigha on board four while Charles Campbell, another debutant on world stage, played on board five.
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Does Nigeria have GMs?