Nigeria’s male and female teams will be back in action this Wednesday at the ongoing 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, following an official rest of 24 hours on Tuesday.
Sports247 gathered that the rest day came at a very crucial point for the team to restrategise, following their stumbles in round six, as the men suffered a heavy defeat to Vietnam while the women also fell to Austria.
A press statement from Nigeria Chess Federation (NCF) noted that both results left the country’s teams with a lot to fight for in the remaining rounds of the prestigious global championship.
This comes after Nigeria’s men’s team fell 4-0 to Vietnam, which ended their run of three victories and left them with six match points from six rounds, having recorded three wins and three defeats.
Nigeria had earlier produced an impressive response in Round 5, defeating Malawi 3½-½, but the team could not reproduce that performance against a strong Vietnamese side.
NCF secretary-general, Ejiro Tukson IV stated in a press release: “The Round 6 setback highlights the level of competition Nigeria is facing as the Olympiad enters its second half.
“The Nigerian women also endured disappointment, going down 3-1 to Austria. The defeat leaves the women on six match points after six rounds, following two victories, two draws and two defeats.
“Despite the loss, there have been encouraging individual performances from the Nigerian players, particularly Chiamaka Michelle Nwankwo, who has emerged as one of the team’s notable performers in Samarkand.
“The young Nigerian has shown considerable fighting spirit throughout the tournament and remains an important player for the team, as the competition progresses.
“With five rounds still to play, Nigeria will be looking to recover from the Round 6 setbacks and finish the tournament strongly.
“The remaining rounds represent an opportunity to improve their standings and end Nigeria’s campaign on a strong note for both teams.”
Sports247 gathered further that Tuesday’s rest day gave both Nigerian teams opportunities to refresh and assess their tactics before the Olympiad resumes with Round 7 on Wednesday.
The male and female players will now aim for better results in all remaining rounds of the Olympiad, which will come to a pulsating climax this Sunday in Samarkand.
