From the stables of the BrainiacChess enterprise, comes the tournament that exemplifies professionalism in its truest form. A few junior chess players under the age of twenty (20) have been invited to test their preparedness for the African events of their age groups.
A little information about the tournament is highlighted below.
- The tournament is an invitational. This means that only a few players (8) have been invited to this event.
- The tournament will be Fide rated. This is a certified tournament that has been registered on the Fide website, for rating purposes.
- The tournament lays no major burden on the players. Each player only needs to bring themselves for the event. They will stay in a 3* hotel (R&A City Hotel) free of charge for the duration of the tournament. Breakfast and lunch will be provided free of charge.
- The tournament is saddled with innovative ideas. For the first time in the Nigerian chess industry, players can be staked on, which gets the followers of the games involved. There will be interviews after each round of games, which would be aired live on Facebook. The video will also go on our YouTube page.
- A buffet dinner for the closing ceremony. The closing ceremony will be different from what the nation is used to, as it will be conducted as a dinner. The dinner will have dignitaries in attendance, and a three (3) course meal to cap it all up.
- A support to other tournaments. Looking at the prizes of the event, one would realize that the three major prizes pledges support other tournaments, both local and continental. This is one of the core purposes of the organization.
- A cinema experience. After the closing ceremony, the players are treated to a movie at the Silverbird cinema at Ikeja, to wrap up the tournament experience.
Furtherance to the above, below are the invited players for this tournament:
- Okeke Isaac (2135)
At just eighteen (18) years of age, Okeke Isaac is undoubtedly the fastest growing young player in the Nigerian chess industry. In the last one (1) year, he has both improved his play, and his rating tremendously. He is one of the favorites to win the event. As the highest rated player in the junior category, all eyes will be on him to show why he is the best.
- Eyetonghan Denyefa Callistus (2045)
In a bid to take back the top rated junior position under the age of twenty (20), Callistus will be looking to overcome several hurdles to achieve this feat. Callistus has been evolving over the last few months and this evolution has hit a new high, with his performance at the Chess Players Association of Nigeria (CPAN) league over the weekend, where he was left unscathed after three (3) rounds of games. It will be interesting to see how he performs at the event.
- Okemakinde Toluwanimi (1935)
A budding young boy from Shagamu, Ogun state. Toluwanimi has had one of the best chess years of his career this far. This was marred by his losses at the Asaba edition of the Danhypro U20 Chess Tour, where he finished well below the final top ten (10). He bounced back with a win at the following Chess Heights monthly, and he will be hoping the blip is over.
- Oyelabi Jonathan (1925)
One of the most underrated players in this field of brilliant young minds. Although his company is the conveyor of the event, and he gets a special invite to join this list, Jonathan has always been a brilliant chess player. His lack of speed is balanced by his accuracy in long time controls, and this is the longest time control of any tournament in the world (currently). Expect some fireworks in his games.
- Matan Adebayo (1905)
The most underrated player on the list. However, on his day, Adebayo has the ability to spring some surprises. He earned his ratings and will be looking to keep it or add more to it. It will be interesting to see how he plays in the field (could go the 2019 Giri way).
- Olisa Tennyson (1881)
The fastest young gun from the south. Tennyson became popular with his speed of play, especially on the lichess.org platform. His accuracy does not suffer from his speed, however, with the longest time control on offer, he would need to hone his patience. At 18, he has some amazing chess understanding, which we will see through the games that would be played.
- Ekunke Goodness (1826)
The youngest player in the field, and a ten (10) year old fighter. Goodness is a young player that has a lot of laurels to his name. However, he will be tested beyond measure at this tournament. His win over Toluwanimi at Asaba, alongside the various scalps he has in his keep, shows that if you underrate his moves, you may be doing that to your detriment. Hopefully, he gets a decent run at the event.
- Emmanuel Idara (0)
A wildcard inclusion that is being tipped by some, to win the tournament. Idara successfully kept himself under the radar, only to come forth and deliver heavy blows. He hails from the Benin kingdom of Edo state, and he has proven that he is out to take the crown (although, he is yet to dislodge the top dog in a game). The tournament seemingly favors him the most (if he performs well), however, the tournament might stand against him (at the Fide rating court), if others outperform him.
The pairings are out on chessresults.com, and the games begin tomorrow. You can follow the games live on lichess.org and followchess.com. Only a few people would be allowed in to spectate per time, and they will be on a strict silence mode.
We are proud to cover this amazing event, and we trust you will enjoy it too.
As the flyer denotes ……the evolution continues.
