Grapevine

Team Nigeria depart for FIDE Chess Olympiad

Notably among them is Nigerian chess prodigy Deborah Quickpen, a wildcard entrant who was recently awarded the Woman Candidate Master (WCM) award by FIDE.

“Destination: Budapest, Hungary. Mission: Chess Olympiad. Target: It’s time to raise the flag flying high. Wish us success,” the Bayelsa State indigene wrote on her Instagram page.

The 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad has been opened in Budapest since Wednesday, with almost 2,000 chess players, from world number-one Magnus Carlsen to over 200 unrated participants, converging on the Hungarian capital, but the Opening Ceremony was not the enormous spectacle witnessed in Chennai in 2022.

The Chess Olympiad, held once every two years, is the highest-participation top event in chess, with 380 national teams of five players from almost 200 countries competing in an 11-round tournament played over four boards.