Team Nigeria will look to end its campaign on a positive note as the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad reaches its final round in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Sunday, September 27.

 The tournament, which began on September 16, concludes after 11 rounds, with both Nigeria’s men’s and women’s teams set for their final encounters.

 Nigeria’s men endured a difficult Round 10, falling to a 4-0 defeat against North Macedonia. Emil Risteski defeated Bomo Kigigha, Anton Zlatkov overcame Abdulrahman Akintoye, Filip Pancevski beat Odion Aikhoje, while Nikola Nikolovski completed the clean sweep with victory over teenage prospect Odey Goodness Ekunke.

 The result leaves the Nigerian men with 10 match points after 10 rounds. Individually, Akintoye Abdulrahman and Odey Goodness Ekunke have been among the team’s leading performers, with both players recording 5½ points from 10 games. Odion Aikhoje has 4½ points, while Bomo Kigigha has 3½.

 The women, meanwhile, enjoyed a strong Round 10 performance, defeating Guatemala 3-1.

 Deborah Quickpen, Iyefu Joy Onoja and Sandra Omoruyi all secured victories for Nigeria, while Bridget Michael narrowly missed out on a fourth win after losing to Guatemala’s Carolina Mazariegos Kummerfeldt.

 The victory lifted the Nigerian women to 11 match points after five wins and one draw in their opening 10 matches. Bridget Michael has been one of the team’s standout performers, scoring 5½ points from eight games, while Michelle Chiamaka Nwankwo has 4½ points from eight games.

 In the final round, the Nigerian men will face Hong Kong, China, while the women will take on Syria.

 For the men, the encounter with Hong Kong, China, provides an immediate opportunity to respond to the heavy defeat against North Macedonia. The women, meanwhile, will enter their final match with added confidence following their convincing victory over Guatemala.

 Both teams will be seeking valuable match and board points as they look to close out their 11-round campaigns strongly.

 The 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad has brought together teams from around the world in Samarkand, with the competition set to conclude with Sunday’s final round.

 Nigeria will now look to finish its Olympiad campaign with strong performances from both teams and a positive final-day showing on the international stage.