Ibadan: Chess players and lovers have been promised thrilling moments as Nigeria hosts the Zone 4.2 West Africa Chess Championships from March 31 to April 9. Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan, Mr. Babatunde Ogunsiku, the championships’ Media Director, Local Organising Committee (LOC), said plans were in top gear for a memorable competition.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Ogunsiku stated that the championships would be the 3rd edition for West Africa, specifically for the Zone 4.2 area. He emphasized that the LOC is diligently working to ensure that everything runs smoothly, aiming to leave a lasting impression on participants and federation leaders visiting Nigeria. Previously, West Africa was part of Zone 4.4, which had more countries. However, in 2023, the structure changed, and Africa was divided into five zones instead of four. Zone 4.1 represents Northern Africa, Zone 4.2 is for Western Africa, Zone 4.3 covers Central Africa, Zone 4.4 is Eastern Africa, and Zone 4.5 is Southern Africa.
Ogunsiku mentioned that letters had been dispatched to the 11 West African countries that comprise the zone, with a registration deadline of March 15. Any late registrations will be at the discretion of the LOC. Notably, this marks the first time Nigeria will host the Zone 4.2 championships.
He added that Nigeria has previously hosted the entire African chess community twice, once in Abuja in 2003 and again in Lagos in 2022. Hosting this event presents Nigerian chess players with the opportunity to participate more economically, as it is held in different countries each year. This annual opportunity is expected to attract significant attention across Africa and beyond.
The competition is set to be a 9-round Classical Chess Tournament with a time control of 90 minutes plus a 30-second increment per move for the first 40 moves, and an additional 30 minutes plus a 30-second increment to complete each game per player. Currently, there is a standard prize pool of $3,000, but efforts are underway to attract sponsors to increase the prize money, with hopes of achieving this before the registration deadline.
The championships will take place at CitiHeights Hotel, Lagos, from March 31 to April 9.