Every month, top players in Enugu gather for a six-round Swiss tournament with a time control of 20 minutes per player and a 10-second increment after each move. The February edition of Chess Heights Enugu had MacDaniel and Ikenna Ilouno as tournament directors while Mr. Babatunde was the chief arbiter. A total of eight players from Enugu participated in the one-day chess event.
After six rounds, Ilouno Ikenna, Udochukwu Obinna, and Okonkwo Harold were tied with 6 points each out of a possible 6 points.
Early Rounds
Top seed, Okonkwo Harold, was paired with Ogechukwu MacDaniel in the first board, with the more experienced player winning with the white piece. Elsewhere on board two, Nwokike Raphael defeated Agbefe Zion, while on the third board, youngster Agbefe Zoe lost to Udeh Wilson. On the final board, Udochukwu Obinna defeated Ilouno Ikenna (1965).
While for the second round, on Board 1, Okonkwo Harold, rated 2065, defeated Udoh Wilson, who was unrated. Board 2 saw Udochukwu, Obinna, also unrated, win against Nwokike, Raphael. In another board, Ilouno, Ikenna, with a rating of 1965, overcame Agbafe, Zion, a young U14 player. Finally, Ogechukwu, MacDaniel, secured a victory against Agbafe, Zoe, another U14 player.
In Round 3, Harold Okonkwo defeated Obinna Udochukwu, Ikenna Ilouno won against Wilson Udeh, Macdaniel Ogechukwu triumphed over Raphael Nwokike, and Zion Agbafe beat Zoe Agbafe.
Later Rounds
In Round 4, Ikenna Iluno (1965) upset the higher-rated Harold Okonkwo (2005). Obinna Udochukwu and Zoe Agbafe (U14) secured wins, and Zion Agbafe (U14) had a draw. Ikenna Iluno (1965) upset the higher-rated Harold Okonkwo (2005), while other matches saw wins for Obinna Udochukwu and Zoe Agbafe (U14), and Zion Agbafe (U14) drew.
In the penultimate round, experienced and older players won against unrated and younger players, and Udochukwu Obinna also defeated Udeh Wilson.
In the final round, Ilouno Ikenna won against Ogechukwu MacDaniel with the black piece. Agbafe Zion was also defeated by Okonkwo Harold, and Udochukwu Obinna defeated Agbefe Zoe with the black piece. Board four also had Udeh Wilson winning Nwokike Raphael with the white piece.
Final Words
After the six rounds, Ilouno Ikenna, Udochukwu Obinna, and Okonkwo Harold were tied with five points each out of a possible six points. The chess tournament was a success, bringing together the top players in Enugu, with the hardworking organizers doing a great job to ensure its smooth execution. In anticipation of the next edition of Chess Heights Enugu, the chess community eagerly awaits another thrilling competition.
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