Team Nigeria endured another difficult day at the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, as both the men’s and women’s teams suffered defeats in Round 7.

 The Nigerian men lost 3–1 to Libya in the Open section, while the women were beaten 2½–1½ by Suriname, leaving both teams with six match points after seven rounds.

 The men entered the clash with Libya looking to bounce back from their heavy 4–0 defeat to Vietnam in Round 6. Nigeria made a promising start, with Abdulrahman Akintoye Abdulraheem securing the team’s only victory of the encounter.

 Playing on Board One, Abdulraheem defeated Mohammed Midhat Abdulrahman to give Nigeria an early advantage. However, the team was unable to build on the result.

 Odion Aikhoje lost to Ali Elier, while Bartholomew Emmanuel Okhipo was defeated by Yousef A. Alhassadi. Odey Goodness Ekunke also fell to Tawfik Ezzeddin Kweiri as Libya sealed a 3–1 victory.

 The defeat leaves Nigeria with three wins and four losses after seven rounds. The team has accumulated 12½ individual board points and occupies 126th position in the Open standings with six match points.

 Women Also Fall to Suriname

 Nigeria’s women suffered a narrow 2½–1½ defeat to Suriname, ending their bid to recover from their 3–1 loss to Austria in the previous round.

 Michelle Chiamaka Nwankwo remains one of Nigeria’s notable performers at the tournament. The 1997-rated player entered Round 7 with 4½ points from six games after remaining unbeaten in her opening five matches before losing to Austria’s Chiara Polterauer in Round 6.

 After seven rounds, Nigeria’s women have recorded two wins, two draws and three defeats. They have six match points and 14 individual board points, placing them 105th in the women’s standings.

 The Nigerian women’s team in Samarkand consists of Deborah Ebimobo-ere Quickpen, Iyefu Joy Onoja, Michelle Chiamaka Nwankwo, Sandra Osarugue Omoruyi and Bridget Michael.

 Four Rounds Remaining

 With four rounds still to play, both Nigerian teams have an opportunity to improve their standings before the Olympiad concludes on September 27.

 Round 8 is scheduled for Thursday, September 24, with Nigeria set to face Guyana in the Open section. The women will take on Lesotho as both teams continue their campaigns at one of the world’s biggest international team chess events.

 The 2026 Chess Olympiad features 11 rounds in both the Open and women’s competitions.