Chess Olympiad: Nigeria Seek Revival Against Libya, Suriname In Round 7

Team Nigeria’s men and women will return to action at the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Wednesday (today) as they seek to recover from disappointing Round 6 results.

The Round 7 matches are scheduled for 3pm local time, with Nigeria’s men facing Libya in the Open section and the women taking on Suriname.

Nigeria’s men have collected six match points from six rounds, recording three wins and three defeats.

Their campaign suffered a heavy setback in the previous round when Vietnam defeated them 4-0.

The result came after Nigeria had responded to a 3-1 defeat by Cuba in Round 4 with a 3½-½ victory over Malawi.

Bomo Lovet Kigigha, Abdulrahman Akintoye Abdulraheem, Odion Aikhoje and Odey Goodness Ekunke will be among those expected to lead Nigeria’s response against Libya.

Nigeria have a team rating average of 2282, compared with Libya’s 2034, but the four-board contest will ultimately determine the outcome.

The women will also be looking to bounce back after a 3-1 defeat by Austria in Round 6.

Nigeria had drawn 2-2 with the Czech Republic in Round 5 before losing to Austria, with Michelle Chiamaka Nwankwo and Bridget Michael securing Nigeria’s points.

Nwankwo remains one of Nigeria’s leading performers in Samarkand, having amassed 4½ points from six games. She was unbeaten in her first five games before losing to Austria’s Chiara Polterauer.

Nigeria, seeded 66th in the women’s competition, face 105th-seeded Suriname, who also have six match points after six rounds.

Suriname go into the contest on the back of a convincing 3½-½ victory over Malawi.

With 11 rounds scheduled and the Olympiad running until September 27, both Nigerian teams still have five rounds after today’s fixtures to improve their final standings.

Round 7 fixtures
Men: Nigeria v Libya
Women: Nigeria v Suriname
Date: Wednesday, September 23, 2026
Time: 3pm Samarkand time