National Chess Championship Set To Begin In Lagos Next Week

The Nigeria National Chess Championship (NCC) is the biggest and most important chess event in Nigeria. It is the determinant of the Nigeria National Chess Champion and the Nigeria National Women’s Chess Champion.

Hundreds of players and thousands of visitors participate in this annual chess event which runs for eight days.

Orchid-Lekki Chess Club (OLCC) hosts the Nigeria National Chess Championship on behalf of the Nigeria Chess Federation (NCF). In the last three years, the quality and influence of the Nigeria National Chess Championship has improved and grown significantly, leading to faster development of the sport in Nigeria.

The championship has unveiled young talents and provided hints on the future possibilities of chess in Nigeria. The 2023 edition of the Nigeria National Chess Championship is scheduled for October 2 to October 9, 2023, at Orchid Hotel, Lekki, Lagos.

The championship will feature an Elite Invitational Section where 24 of the best chess players in Nigeria will compete for the Nigeria National Chess Champion and Nigeria National Women’s Chess Champion titles.

The winners of these titles will represent Nigeria at the 2024 Africa Individual Chess Championship (AICC). The 24 players in this section went through a rigorous selection and qualification process which includes a Nigeria National Chess Championship Qualifiers Tournament, to be able to compete in this final stage.

Nigeria National Chess Championship 2023 will also have an Open Section which will accommodate players in every category including beginners and masters. Rank and file players and any member of the public can register to participate in the Open Section where they can test their mettle against other players of their playing strength.

The Open Section will also have a vibrant Junior Category that will cater to Under-20, Under-14, and Under-10 players. Hundreds of school children are expected to participate in this category.

Below are the schedules for the sections / categories and the championship as a whole:

• Opening Ceremony: October 2 (11 am)
• Blitz Tournament: October 2 (From 4 pm)
• Elite Invitational Section: October 3 – October 9 (from 9 am daily)
• Junior Category: October 3 – October 4 (From 9 am daily)
• Open Section: October 5 – October 9 (From 9 am daily)
• Closing Ceremony – October 9 (4 pm)

Nigeria’s new minister of sports development, Mr John Enoh, will be the special guest of honour at the championship’s opening ceremony.

A highlight of this year’s opening ceremony will be a session to induct seven distinguished Nigerian chess personalities and two organizations into the newly inaugurated Nigeria Chess Hall of Fame. This new development in Nigerian chess is set to celebrate and honour important contributors to the development of the sport in Nigeria.

Another notable event included in this year’s championship is a FIDE Chess in Education Teachers Course organised for teachers in Lagos State. This course which will take place between October 2 and October 5, will help participants develop the skills necessary to inculcate chess in education.

The course will be facilitated by Women International Master Anzel Laubscher from South Africa.

Laubscher is a member of the FIDE Chess in Education and International Advisory Board. To register and participate, members of the public are encouraged to visit www.olchessclub.com.

The 2023 Nigeria National Chess Championship is shaping up to be a most exciting chess event and a foundation for the rapid development of the mind sport in the country.

September 28, 2023