Olape leads others to Ashtonwells chess challenge
NATIONAL Chess Master and highest rated Nigerian player on the World Chess Federation (FIDE) rating list, Olubunmi Olape (2304), topped the list of 10 best players in the country that have been invited for the 1st Astonwells sponsored invitational chess tournament at the Abraka Turf Club, Oria, Abraka, Delta State.
The list, which was released last week by the technical committee of Nigeria Chess Federation (NCF) has prodigies namely such as International Masters Afolabi Akintola (2287), Odion Aikhoje (2253), while former national master, Adebayo Adegboyega (2251) and 'Old Horse' Femi Oluwaseyitan (2160) completed the list of FIDE rated players.
The remaining five players, according to the President of NCF, Arch Theophilus Caiafas were selected based on their performance at the last World Chess Olympiad trials in Lagos and they are Chukwere Onyekwere, Kolade Onabogun, Benjamin Omorere, Christopher Tobuyei and current national champion, Bomo Kigigha.
Situated in the tranquillity of the Nigeria's Delta region, the Abraka Turf Club boasts of a setting that is breathtaking in its beauty.
Almost all chess pundits agreed that the Ashtonwell tournament, is turning out to be Nigeria's version of great tournaments like the Linaries Invitational in Spain, Dortmund Invitational in Germany and Wijk Itn Zee event in Holland which are competitions exclusively for the highest ranked FIDE Grandmasters in the world.
The competition attracts the highest prize money ever in Nigeria's chess history with a whooping sum of N150,000, being set aside as the star prize whilst second prize will receive N100,000 and third prize winner will take home N75,000.
Consolation prizes of N10,000 each would be given to 4th to 10th placed players.
