Introduction
The January Chess Height Ekiti was successfully held on January 4, 2025, with Dr. Oluwayemi Ayodeji as tournament director and Fatobi Temitope as the chief arbiter. Fifteen participants competed in a captivating seven-round event with a time control of 20 minutes plus 10 seconds added per move.
After the players completed the rounds, Alex Ayomide won the event outright with 6.5 points, with three other players tied for second place with 5 points.
Early rounds
Alex Ayomide defeated Adebayo Malik on board 1 in the first round, while Adegboyega Emmanuel defeated Folayan Ademola on board 2. Additionally, Nova Seun suffered a defeat against Adeleye Samuel on board 3, while Omoboye Bliss received a bye in that round.
As the second round commenced, none of the players had a draw, and the gap between them continued to widen. Oluwayemi Hope lost to Adegboyega Emmanuel on board 1 while Adeleye Samuel was defeated by Alex Ayomide on the second board. Still in board one, Omoboye Bliss won against Ademola Olajide. After the dust settled from round 2, only five players remained undefeated.
Later Rounds
In the fourth round, Alex Ayomide was paired against Ajayi Iretomiwa on board 1, with Alex getting the better of their match. On the second board, Adebayo Malik faced off against Adeboyega Emmanuel, with Malik getting the better of their matchup. Action continued on the other lower boards as well. Re
In the 6th round, Alex Ayomide strengthened his lead by defeating Adegboyega Emmanuel and maintained his unbeaten streak until the final round.
Adebayo Malik also won against Ajayi Iretomiwa in the sixth round.
During the final round, players competed for a podium placement, and Alex demonstrated his dominance with a decisive win against Ademola Olajide on the top board. Adebayo Malik had a peaceful resolution in his match against Okeleye Andrew on the second board.
Adebayo Malik, Okeleye Andrew, and Ajayi Iretomiwa are tied for second place.
Conclusion
Overall, Chess Heights Ekiti January was a success, and the tied score between the second-placed players shows the competitive nature of
the event.
This is an amazing development