Team Profile

In a land of almost 120 million inhabitants, there has to be some fine chess players.  After having made an impression at the 1998 Olympiad in Elista, Nigeria was unable to make the 2000 contest and is set for battle in Bled. The team is led by the charismatic IM Odion Aikhoje who struck gold on board #2 in the Elista tournament.

Aikhoje is only one of four Nigerians ever to earn the IM title… IM Fola Akintola is another, but he will serve as  the captain for this year's squad. The team is a bit thin on international experience with three unrated players. However, US-based Nigerian IM Oladapo Adu just returned from Nigeria and mentioned that many players have "stepped up their games."

Links

• Meet Nigeria's IM Odion Aikhoje
  
• The Talking Drum featuring IM Oladapo Adu
  
• Nigeria's Adebayo takes 1st at Fiji CC Invitational! (23 January 2002)