Over the board chess tournament returned to Abuja on the 23rd December, 2020. The Abuja End of The Year Groove happened at Zalika Chess Club, Zalika Garden located at Plateau street, Brass close, Area 2, Garki Abuja. A 7-round swiss open was played with 41 players in attendance. In the end, Fuenshak Othman and Akande AbdulAzeez Taiwo shared first place with 6/7 points.
The tournament was organized by Ojikutu Samuel. Ojikutu also served as Tournament Director, Chief Arbiter and Player while Patrick Obiaga served as Deputy Chief Arbiter. The tournament was played using the time control 3 minutes for the game with 2 second increment per move.
A six (6) Player pack shared third to eight place: Joshua Adejo, Abdullahi Adamu, Francis Ogirima, Ojikutu Samuel, Ezeanya Ikechukwu and Osim John all tied on 5/7 points.
Remarks from The Attendees;
When asked about the event, Akande AbdulAzeez Taiwo who shared first place said “Fantastic, Fantabulous, Great, unprecedented. The sponsors and surge really tried.”
Former Africa Chess Media Head, Ajibade Olayemi (Olarov) said; “Today’s tournament was superlative. Thanks to the great Surge (Ojikutu Samuel) and the sponsors. I dont think any tournament like this has ever taken place in Nigeria. We had mad fun. Every round was filled with surprises. I came late but had so much fun.”
In simple terms, Dr. Osim John who shared third place said “The event was awesome.”
In his words, Tournament Director, Ojikutu Samuel said the tournament started at 11: 00 am. Candy sweets, peppered meats, Yoghurt and a variety of snacks were served after a solid fight among players for the Trophy, Medals and bragging right to be called Abuja Chess Champion. All winners were paid their prize winnings, Trophy and Medals were also awarded to the winners.
He went further and thanked the players for their cooperation, the sponsors for their generosity for making the event a reality. Appreciation also goes to Julescake, Danhny Pro and Jollof Hacker.
Click Final Standing After Round 7
