Nigeria’s Women Beat Guatemala but Fall to Syria in Final Round.

Uzbekistan retained the Open title and China won the women’s competition at the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, while Nigeria finished outside the top 80 in both sections.

Uzbekistan secured the Open crown with 20 match points, winning 10 of its 11 matches. India took silver with 18 points, while Germany also finished on 18 but claimed bronze on a tie-break.

China went unbeaten in the women’s event, recording nine wins and two draws to finish with 20 points. Kazakhstan placed second with 18 points, and India won bronze with 17.

Nigeria’s Open team finished 118th, earning 10 match points from five wins and six losses, alongside 21 game points. After a promising start, the team struggled for consistency, including a 4-0 defeat to Vietnam in Round 6. Nigeria later beat Tunisia 3½-½ in Round 9 but suffered another 4-0 loss, this time to North Macedonia, in the next round.

The team ended its campaign with a narrow 2½-1½ defeat to Hong Kong. Bomo Lovet Kigigha recorded Nigeria’s only individual win, while Odion Aikhoje and Bartholomew Okhipo lost; the remaining game was drawn.

Abdulrahman Akintoye and Odey Goodness Ekunke led Nigeria’s Open players, each scoring 5½ points. Aikhoje finished with 4½, while Kigigha scored 3½.

Nigeria’s women placed 85th with 11 match points and 24 game points, following four wins, three draws and four defeats. They beat Guatemala 3-1 in Round 10, with Deborah Quickpen, Iyefu Onoja and Sandra Omuruyi winning their games.

But Nigeria could not carry that form into the final round, losing 2½-1½ to Syria. Quickpen won, Omuruyi drew, while Onoja and Michelle Nwankwo were defeated. Omuruyi was the team’s top scorer with 6½ points. Quickpen and Bridget Michael each finished on 5½, and Nwankwo scored 4½.

No African team reached the medals in either competition. Algeria recorded the continent’s best Open result, finishing 80th, followed by Angola and South Africa. Egypt led African teams in the women’s standings, placing 53rd. Nigeria was fifth among African women’s teams.

The 11-round Olympiad began on September 16 and brought together national teams from around the world in the Open and women’s categories.