On Saturday, the 27th of July, 2024, the University of Ibadan Chess Club hosted her 3rd Quarter Ladder Games and Freshers’ Welcome at the Mellanby Hall Senior Common Room.
The Ladder Games, a 6-round Swiss Rapid Tournament featured top UI players, alumni, friends of UI Chess, and students of the Polytechnic, Ibadan. Also in attendance was Mr Iredele Ogunbayo, chairman of the Oyo State Chess Association. The clocks started at 9:30 am and play got underway. Things started to get heated in Round Three with more of the top seeds drawn against each other. Oludoyi was put down by Akporherhe, the UI Champion, and perhaps the biggest upset of the event came with Udochukwu Victor, a 400L Medicine and Surgery undergraduate converting a flawless endgame against Akinyemi David, an alumnus with a NUGA games under his belt. Round four saw more action, with Oguntona defeating his Vice-Captain, Akporherhe, and Oziegbe triumphing on board one against Okojie in a double-edged Sicilian. The final round would see Oguntona and Oziegbe shake hands on a draw, confirming the current and immediate-past Captains of UI Chess as joint-winners of this edition, though with Oguntona ahead on tiebreaks. This marks two successive Ladder Games triumphs for Oguntona Abraham. Tied for third were Akporherhe, UI Chess Vice-Captain 1, and Okojie, UCH Chess Captain, though Oludoyi, UI Chess Secretary also finished on 5 points, albeit with lesser tiebreaks. The highest-placed woman was Esoimeme Eboselu, finishing on 3/6.
The freshmen were formally welcomed to the University of Ibadan Chess Club, with Captain Oguntona when speaking to them, highlighting the UI Chess Program as number one in the country for her ability to build players up. He also hailed the growth of chess to become arguably the premier sport in the University of Ibadan. Much can be expected of Ogunbiyi Caleb, a 100L student of Dentistry and Dental Surgery who claimed the best fresher prize with a strong 4/6. Also addressing the gathering was a distinguished alumnus, Mr Goke Olaoluwa, a member of the UI Chess Club nearly three decades ago. He commended the executives for organising the games, and campaigned for more regular classical chess as had been during his times with IM Odion Aikhoje, a then UI undergraduate, and IM Bunmi Olape, a regular visitor at the time.
The event concluded with a Puzzles Giveaway for the freshmen, hosted by Oludoyi Oluwatoyin, quizzing them on positions that arose in the course of the tournament. The giveaway was won by Foyinsola Kolape, Omolola and Caleb Ogunbiyi.
Okojie Osakwe Simeon