Nigeria’s men’s and women’s teams will aim to respond strongly to their Round 6 setbacks when they return to action at the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Wednesday.
The Nigerian men will face Libya in Round 7, while the women take on Suriname as both teams look to improve their positions following disappointing results in the previous round.
Nigeria’s men and Libya have both collected six match points after six rounds, although the West Africans hold a narrow advantage on board points, leading 11½-10½.
The Nigerian men suffered their third defeat of the tournament in Round 6, losing all four boards against Vietnam after making a promising start with three victories from their opening five rounds.
Bomo Kigigha, Abdulrahman Akintoye Abdulraheem, Odion Aikhoje and Odey Goodness Ekunke all suffered defeats against the Vietnamese team.
The loss followed Nigeria’s impressive response in Round 5, when they defeated Malawi 3½-½. Kigigha secured a draw on board one, while Akintoye, Aikhoje and Ekunke all recorded victories.
Aikhoje and Ekunke had each accumulated 3½ points from their first five individual games before suffering defeats against Vietnam.
The women’s team will also be seeking a response after suffering their first defeat in three rounds against Austria.
Nigeria had previously drawn 2-2 with the Czech Republic in Round 5, extending their unbeaten run before Austria ended it with a 3-1 victory.
Michelle Chiamaka Nwankwo, who had defeated her Czech Republic opponent, was beaten by Austria, while Deborah Quickpen and Sandra Omoruyi also lost their games. Bridget Michael provided Nigeria’s only win in the encounter.
After six rounds, both Nigerian teams have six match points. The men have recorded three wins and three defeats, while the women have two wins, two draws and two losses.
With five rounds still remaining, Wednesday’s fixtures against Libya and Suriname provide Nigeria with an opportunity to recover from their latest setbacks and climb the standings.
The 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad will continue until September 27, with the team competition consisting of 11 rounds.
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