The 2025 Zone 4.2 West Africa Chess Championship in Lagos delivered an exciting finish in both the Open and Women’ssections. Fans witnessed clutch final-round battles, stunning upsets, and the emergence of new talent, all in a concise nine-round showdown.
Defending champion FM Abdulrahman Abdulraheem of Nigeria held his nerve in the final round to secure the Open title once again. He entered the last day leading the field and edged out fellow Nigerian Olisa Tennyson Ewomazino for first place.
Two veterans anchored the tournament: Home-based fan-favorite IM Odion Aikhoje and IM Oladapo Adu. Both showed flashes of their trademark class. Aikhoje stayed in contention for most of the event.
Abdulraheem’s steady play under pressure showed why he was one of the pre-tournament favorites. The Open section had its fair share of surprises. Top seed IM Mariano Ortega (2438) from Cape Verde suffered a shocking loss to 2137-rated Olisa Tennyson in an earlier round, one of the biggest upsets of the event.
In another memorable moment, 11-year-old Ghanaian prodigy Jeshurun Tandoh fearlessly held veteran IM Oladapo Adu (Nigeria) to a draw, while Olisa Tennyson’s giant-killing run earned him a breakout reputation.
Nigeria’s national champion WIM-elect Toritsemuwa Ofowino lived up to expectations in the women’s category. She dominated the field from start to finish, entering the final round undefeated and comfortably clinching the women’s title. Ofowino dropped only a couple of draws along the way (including one to a lower-rated opponent) but largely showed no mercy, ripping through the competition.
Fellow Nigerian player Azumi Suleiman gave chase and finished close behind, but Ofowino’s experience and consistency kept her ahead of the pack.
One of the tournament’s breakout performances came from 16 year old WCM Mazan Emmanuela Esther of Ivory Coast, who proved to be a real threat to the Nigerian players. She held Ofowino to a draw and scored 6/8 going into the last round, securing a podium finish.
Other notable contenders included Nigeria’s Michael Bridget and Michelle Nwankwo, who battled hard in the top group. In the end, home-based players swept the top spots as expected, with Ofowino delighting the home fans by successfully defending her zonal crown.
