Onabogun, Adu, Dictate Pace at Lagos Chess Classics.

Current National Champion, Kolade Onabogun, International Masters Dapo Adu and Odion Aikhoje are among Nigerian prodigies on perfect score with the invited foreign master after the third round of the on-going Lagos Chess Classics.

All the players have won their games but Onabogun is expected to face Mohammed Ezat of Egypt in tie that may decide the fortune of the Nigerian in the tournament. However Wednesday morning, in the third round games, Onabogun in black side of Sicilian defense (Pelican variation) overwhelmed fellow Nigerian master, Oluwadara Adegbayi to submission after 24 moves.

His opponent tried an early Nf5 in the game but the winner countered him in the centre and allowed a complicated position and when the smoke was cleared, Adegbayi was down with a piece and thus made the tie simple for the current national champion. In another game, USA import, Adu who was on the white side of an unorthodox opening, was better against Nnamdi Nwoye that beat Egyptian International Master on Tuesday. Adu took advantage of his opponent’s faulty push on move 21…d5, after playing Nf5 the position was advantage white. “I was able to force my opponent to resign on move 48,” observed a cheerful Adu yesterday.

A Chess Board.
A Chess Board.

Nigeria’s Bunmi Olape came back into reckoning as he had to rely on default to win his first round match against Hakeem Edunwale. The match lasted over five hours.

Meanwhile, the U-14 event will commence today with players from schools and clubs expected to take part in this category after the organisers concluded the registration yesterday.

Tournament’s Chief Arbiter, Eugene Akhiwu, said the quality of play has shown that every player has the chance to win the competition. He explained that each player is expected to play seven rounds of matches in the tournament.

The player with the highest points at the event of the seventh will automatically emerges as winner.

The Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall of the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos is hosting the N3.5million prize money championship. The star prize is $5,000.

Source: ThisDay.