Kenny Solomon of South Africa arrived in Abuja, Nigeria on a mission… to qualify for the FIDE World Knockout Championship. The African Individual Championships, with its usual plethora of talent, would be a tough test for the 23-year old Master, but he was up to the challenge. Playing inspired fighting chess, Solomon finished with an exciting last round contest with Egyptian IM, Imed Abdelnabbi. Needing a win to qualify (Abdelnabbi needed only a draw), Solomon exerted his full energy.

In the game's climatic point, both were in crippling time pressure where one mistake would be fatal. As the crowd gathered around the deciding last-round game, tension mounted and the game reached a fever pitch. Solomon snatched the advantage in an opposite-colored bishop ending and finessed his way to victory. He would qualify for his 1st trip to the FIDE World Championships and at the game's end, he discovered that he had become Africa's newest International Master!