Ajibowo Dumps Olape In Chess Olympiad Trial.

The final stage trial of the World Chess Olympiad got under way yesterday at the National Stadium, Lagos with the highest rated Nigerian player, Bunmi Olape, going down to ambitious Olamide Ajibowo in the first round of nine-round robin tournament.

Bunmi Olape, a veteran of several Olympiad tournaments, made the first blunder of the competition on move 15 with unnecessary g6 in reply to his opponent’s g4 and had to give up his Rook for a light Bishop on move 18 in a Petrov defence opening.

Olape, one of the masters of Petrov defence, tried to take advantage of his paired Bishops in the middle play, but met resistance from fighting Ajibowo, who held on to the material advantage and brought the game to a ruthless conclusion on move 71 with when his Queen was about to fall.

In another game, Tolu Ogunwobi, in white side of Sozin Sicilian on board two secured an early draw position with Charles Campbell who was part of the team to the last Olympiad in Dresden, Germany.

Ogunwobi missed Bg5 on move 14 to consolidate on positional advantage and allowed Campbell to equalise on move 17.

Inimo Kigigha also secured a win against Benjamin Omorere by default when he took advantage of his opponent’s time trouble to earn the valuable point in the opening round while the remaining two games in the male section also ended in a draw.

In the female section, the trio of Rachael Dappa, Funmi Akinola and Tobi Olatunji all won their games against their opponents.

Dappa took advantage of better board vision to earn a vital point against Vivian Dzaayem in a pawn Rook ending while Akinola dismissed Labake Coker in 23 moves and Olatunji showed shade of her genius in middle play with a win over Oghenetega Enarevba.

Highest Nigerian female rated player, Rosemary Amadasun, had to rely on her experience to survive early scare from Olabisi Rabiu who failed to hold on to the advantage in the middle play and allowed her opponent to come back to earn a draw.

Five players will qualify in each category to represent the country at the 39th World Chess Olympiad in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia from 18th of September-4th October this year.