15th June, 2011
The 5-day trials organised by the Nigeria Chess Federation to pick players for the Maputo 2011 All Africa Games did not produce any major upset as all notable players in both sections secured the qualification ticket for the round-robin final selection event that will come up at the training camp very soon.
The Federation has finally listed those that would represent Nigeria in Mozambique. The players are: last World Chess Olympiad debutant, FIDE Master Olamide Ajibowo and Nsisong Bassey, both winners in the male and female category respectively at the just concluded All-Africa Games Chess trials at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, Southwest, Nigeria.
The duo performed brilliantly, winning most of their games and will lead other qualifiers to the chess camp, which would be opened soon by the National Sports Commission, NSC.
In the male section, both Ajibowo and Ochuko Emuakpeje are joint first with eight points, but the FIDE Master was placed top on tie-break. Other qualifiers are Tosin Akinwande, Sunny Eyeghe, Ajibola Olanrewaju, International Master Bunmi Olape, Adegboyega Adebayo, Oluwadara Adegbayi, Bayo Babalola and Charles Campbell among others.
The trials event was two-fold, with the first two days meant to weed off the weak pawns from the pack that played in the final selection process in the last three days of rapid tournament.
—Adebobola Alawode