Nigeria’s men’s and women’s teams will return to action on Sunday as the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, enters its fifth round.
After four rounds, the women have five match points from two wins, a draw and a defeat, while the men have four match points from two victories and two losses. The Olympiad consists of 11 rounds under the Swiss-system team format.
The women have been led by WFM Michelle Chiamaka Nwankwo, who has scored 3½ points from four games. Sandra Osarugue Omoruyi has contributed three points, while WFM Deborah Ebimobo-ere Quickpen has two points.
Nigeria opened the women’s campaign with a 4-0 victory over Mali before losing 3½-½ to England in Round 2. They then drew 2-2 with Mozambique and recovered with a 3-1 victory over Trinidad and Tobago in Round 4. Nwankwo has remained unbeaten, recording three wins and a draw.
In the Open section, Nigeria began with a 4-0 whitewash of New Caledonia, suffered a 3½-½ defeat to Kazakhstan, and responded by edging Saudi Arabia 2½-1½. The team then lost 3-1 to Cuba in Round 4.
IM Odion Aikhoje and Odey Goodness Ekunke have been among Nigeria’s leading performers, with 2½ points apiece after four games.
Nigeria’s men will face Malawi in Round 5. Both teams have four match points heading into the encounter, which is scheduled for 3 p.m. Samarkand time on Sunday, September 20.
The women will take on the Czech Republic, with both teams entering the round on five match points. Their Round 5 encounter is also scheduled for 3 p.m.
The Round 5 pairings give both Nigerian teams another opportunity to add to their match-point tallies as the competition progresses.
Nigeria’s women will look to continue their recovery from the England defeat, while the men will seek another positive response after their loss to Cuba.
