Team Nigeria bounced back strongly in Round 8 of the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, with both the Open and Women’s teams recording emphatic victories.

The Nigerian men produced a dominant 3½–½ victory over Guyana, while the women defeated Lesotho by the same margin to recover from their respective setbacks in the previous round. 

In the Open section, Nigeria secured three wins and a draw against Guyana, with Bomo Lovet Kigigha, Abdulrahman Akintoye Abdulraheem and Odey Goodness Ekunke all recording victories.

Bartholomew Emmanuel Okhipo completed Nigeria’s impressive performance by holding Anthony Drayton to a draw on the third board.

Kigigha defeated Kyle Couchman on Board One, while Abdulraheem continued his strong individual campaign by overcoming Taffin Khan on Board Two.

Ekunke also maintained his impressive showing at the Olympiad, defeating Keron Sandiford to complete Nigeria’s 3½–½ triumph. 

The result provided a welcome response after Nigeria suffered a 3-1 defeat to Libya in Round 7. Abdulraheem had been the lone Nigerian winner in that encounter. 

The women’s team were equally impressive against Lesotho, winning three games and drawing one to claim a 3½–½ victory.

Deborah Ebimobo-ere Quickpen and Bonolo Ntsielo shared the point on Board One, while Iyefu Joy Onoja, Sandra Osarugue Omoruyi and Bridget Michael all recorded victories for Nigeria. 

The women’s result was particularly important after Nigeria’s 2½–1½ defeat to Suriname in Round 7, which followed a 3-1 loss to Austria in Round 6. 

The twin victories give Nigeria renewed momentum with three rounds remaining in the 11-round Olympiad, which concludes on September 27.

The Nigerian teams had entered Round 8 on six match points after seven rounds, with the Open team having recorded three wins and four defeats, while the women had two wins, two draws and three losses. 

The men’s emphatic victory also ended Guyana’s hopes of extending its winning run after the Caribbean side had recorded its third victory of the tournament in the previous round. 

With both Nigerian teams back among the winners, attention now turns to the remaining rounds as they seek to improve their final positions at one of the world’s biggest international team chess competitions.

The performances in Samarkand have also highlighted the individual contributions of Nigeria’s younger players, particularly Abdulraheem and teenage debutant Ekunke, who have provided important points during the campaign.