Kunle Adelabu
It was a great spectacle in lkorodu between August 13th and 14th, 2021, as some of the top rated chess players in the junior and senior categories in the country engaged in deft moves and great maneuver at the second edition of the Danhypro Chess Tournament.
The competition, which was held at the Pedachess Educational Limited, Ipakodo in Ikorodu West Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Ikorodu Division, Lagos State, Southwest, Nigeria, was an invitational tournament where nine senior and experienced players competed with junior/up and coming ones.
It was a tournament where the junior players caused some upsets as they showed the senior ones that they are ready to take over from them in their bid to place Nigeria on the African and global chess map.
The two junior and two senior players, who concluded their games around 8.00pm on Sunday, August 15, spoke with THE IMPACT about their experiences.
Mr Edet Udeme, who emerged second at the tournament, hails from Akwa Ibom and based in Lagos. He described the experience as nice and acknowledged that some of the junior players really challenged the more experienced ones.
“It’s a really nice experience. They (junior participants) are really tough guys and hard to play with. They embarrassed a lot of top players. Things have changed with technology. They are really studying and it makes a lot of sense playing with them”, he said.
“The improvement that comes with their games has to do with technology. Hopefully, we will get top players in a few years time. It doesn’t have to take so long as it used to in the olden days.
“Quite soon, we will have a junior player as Chess Champion in Nigeria”, he said while speaking about the future of the game in the country.
One of the junior players, Master Monson Chimo, a student from Edo State, said that he felt great playing against top players while also commending Danhypro for supporting Chess.
“I feel great playing against top players. It afforded me more experiences. I am impressed with the game”, he said.
“Danhypro has been trying to raise the bar of the game. A big thank you to Danhypro for supporting the game of Chess”.
Okonkwo Ifeanyi, who came fifth in the competition, is an Edo based chess player but hails from Enugu State. He said that the experience was wonderful.
“It has been a wonderful experience considering the fact that coronavirus has made people idle for some time”, he said.
“It is a good exposure for us to come back and see what we can do to make the game of chess continue in Nigeria. So far, it has been a wonderful experience coming back actively.
The senior and experienced player said that the young players have shown with their talents that the future of Chess in the country is bright.
“The future of Chess is bright in Nigeria. I remember when I was young like them, it took me about ten years before I could play at the level I am now, but now, with Danhypro and other initiatives like this, young ones can easily compete with the seniors”, said.
“Considering the games that I played, I think that they (the junior players) have good prospects in future because of the exposure that they are having in sponsorship tournaments such as this.
“I think that they would do better than what we have had so far”.
While also commending Danhypro for staging such an engaging tournament, he also charged that the initiative should be sustained and improved upon.
“Danhypro should continue to be consistent in staging this tournament because the young players that are participating are more informed than the older players. I want them to keep up the good work and also initiate other ideas to develop the young players. Yes, they can play on their own but if they have guidance and proper tutelage from more experienced players, they will develop faster”, he said.
“In the next two to four years, Nigeria should be among the best in Africa”, he added.
Ojekwe Rafael Chidera, a 300 Zoology student from Nnamdi Azikwe University, who is an up and coming chess player in the country, said that he gained a lot of experience in the tournament, especially in the area of persistence.
“It’s a great pleasure to participate in the second edition of the Danhypro invitational tournament”, he said.
“It was really a great event and quite tedious playing with more experienced players. I thank God for everything and it is now over.
“I learnt a lot of things. I was able to understand that even a player in a weak position can still win with persistence and without giving up so quickly. I have learnt that here now”, he added.
He said that a more rated chess championship that can engage players more should be staged in the country.
“I hope that more rated chess competitions will come up in Nigeria because with the outcome of this tournament, I really felt that engagement is very important”, he said.
“If more rated tournaments are being organised, it is going to boost the strength of chess players. People (young chess players) that are coming up will definitely improve with constant tournaments and help Nigeria in terms of talents”.
