Nigeria men crush Malawi, women hold Czech Republic ahead of Round 6 at Fide Chess Olympiad

Team Nigeria’s men and women both moved to six match points after contrasting results in Round Five of the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

The men bounced back emphatically from their previous-round defeat to Cuba, dismantling Malawi 3½-½, while the women battled to a 2-2 draw against the Czech Republic on Sunday.

In the Open section, Bomo Lovet Kigigha shared the points with Joseph Mwale on the top board, but Nigeria dominated the remaining boards.

Abdulrahman Akintoye Abdulraheem defeated Chiletso Chipanga, Odion Aikhoje overcame George Mwale and 15-year-old Odey Goodness Ekunke completed the victory with a win over Joseph Xavier Nyambalo.

Aikhoje and Ekunke have now collected 3½ points each after five games, while Abdulraheem has 2½ and Kigigha has two points.

The result takes Nigeria to six match points from five rounds, having recorded three match victories and suffered two defeats.

The women, meanwhile, had to settle for a share of the spoils against the Czech Republic after a closely fought encounter.

Deborah Ebimobo-ere Quickpen lost to Joanna Worek on Board One, but Michelle Chiamaka Nwankwo levelled the contest with victory over Anna Lhotska.

Sandra Osarugue Omoruyi was beaten by Lucie Rybackova, before Bridget Michael defeated Tereza Rodshtein to secure Nigeria a 2-2 draw.

Nwankwo remains one of Nigeria’s standout performers in Samarkand, having moved to 4½ points from five games after another victory in Round 5.

The draw against the Czech Republic lifted the women to six match points after five rounds, following two wins, two draws and one defeat.

Attention now turns to Round 6 on Monday, September 21.

The Nigerian men have been paired against Vietnam, who arrives at the meeting after a 2½-1½ defeat to Poland in Round 5. The match is scheduled for 3 p.m. in Samarkand, with the individual board line-up expected to be confirmed before play.

The Nigerian women will face Austria in Round 6. Both teams enter the encounter on six match points, with Nigeria listed 66th and Austria 43rd in the latest pairing order.

Round 6 will be the final session before Tuesday’s rest day, giving both Nigerian teams another opportunity to strengthen their positions before the Olympiad resumes with Round 7 on Wednesday.

The 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad features 11 rounds, with the tournament running from September 16 to 27 in Samarkand.