Chess Masters Ready for Maiden IGP Open Championship

Femi Solaja

In continuation of a busy chess calendar since last month, the Nigeria Police Force Sports and Fitness Centre at the Police College in Ikeja, Lagos will from this morning attract a great assemblage of top players and stakeholders when the maiden edition of Inspector General of Police Open Chess Championship gets underway.

The five-day cerebral activities are organised by Nigeria Police Chess Association in collaboration with the Nigeria Chess Federation (NCF).

Top chess players led by current National Champion, International Master Daniel Anwuli will face a tough challenge from the old order led by International Masters Odion Aikhoje, Bunmi Olape, FIDE Master Bomo Kigigha, Olanrewaju Ajibola, Oluwafemi Balogun, Chukwunonso Oragwu, Akintoye Abdulraheem and many others for the top prizes in the male section.

Ahead of today’s opening round of matches in the male and female sections, the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba and other top hierarchy in the Police Force have been confirmed to be part of the ceremony this morning.

The President of Nigeria Chess Federation DIG Sani Mohammed (rtd), yesterday urged chess players and stakeholders to be orderly all through the competition so that the maiden edition of the event will ensure a regular fixture in the calendar of the federation for many years to come.

“This event to me is a dream come through considering the fact that we have been on it for some years now and it’s a good development, we are indeed glad that the Inspector General of Police who is also a sports loving man has been identified with the cerebral game,” the NCF President remarked last night.

Top winner in the male section will take home N250,000 while the second and third will receive N180,000 and N130,000 respectively.

In the female section, the best in the category will take home N150,000 while the second best finish will get N80,000 just as the third best will take home N60,000.

The seven Round-Swiss event pairing will attract N1.5m cash prizes with 20th placed male and 10th placed female players all guaranteed cash prizes.

The championship will be FIDE rated with time control fixed at one and half hours plus 30 seconds per move and registration of players closed yesterday evening at N2,500 per player.

The championship no doubt will galvanize chess players ahead of next week’s National Championship to be hosted by Orchid Chess Club, Lekki in Lagos.

Since the change of guards at the NCF, players have been busy with tournaments both local and international circuits.