Introduction
Chess Heights Lagos was stacked for the January edition, spotting top players like FM Abdulraheem AbdulRahman Akintoye—the West African Champion—Lapite Oluwadurotimi, Afam Ndidi Ernest, Izuogu Mickey, Ofubu Samson, the VP of the Nigerian Chess Federation—Adewole Adeyinka Samuel, who also played in the event.
Out of a total of 51 participants, 7 players were rated above 2000 and 6 players above 1900.
The event was held in Jobady Hotel 1 in Maryland. Quite a number of the players were coming off their showing at the national chess championship, including FM Abdulraheem AbdulRahman, who had missed the national championship title by a close margin.

Early Rounds
The first-round pairings were rather interesting and featured two upsets. Unrated Alade John defeated Agboola Elijah Ayomide (1895) on board 12, while Adu Adeoluwa Daniel (1688) defeated Oladele Oluwole (1939) on board 10. The other pairings generally had the higher-rated players coming out on top.
Going into the second match, board 3 was another interesting game as Ogunsanya Tobiloba (1853), the Unilag former captain, was paired against Afam Ndidi Ernest (2047). Their game ended in a draw.
Another upset was cooked in board 11 as an unrated Yusuf Abdullahi Opeyemu defeated Ogunshile Oluwaseun David (1895). Similarly, on board 17, unrated Igbe Anthony Chigozirim defeated Omobowale Omolara. The other boards generally had the rating favorites winning their games.

Round three is where the top seeds started to meet with some interesting shake-ups in standings. Another upset happened on board four as unrated Alade John defeated Eleyinmi, Josiah (1840). The other rated player to lose was Omobowale Omolara (1674) against an unrated Olaonipekun Olamide Peace. On the top three boards, FM Abdulraheem AbdulRahman Akintoye (2183) won against Evbuomwan Efosa (1980) to remain unbeaten in the tournament. While Okuboarere Karebo (2000) lost to Lapite Oluwadurotimi (2174) on the second board, and Ofubu Samson (1973) drew Izuogu Mickey (2038) on board 3.
Later Rounds
In the fourth round, Akintoye Oladotun (2003) meets FM Abdulraheem AbdulRahman Akintoye (2183) on board one, and the West African Champion wins his match to remain unbeaten so far. On the second board, Lapite Oluwadurotimi (2174) was surprisingly defeated by Abiola Teniola (2013). The other boards for the round also featured some upsets on the later boards.
In the fifth round, the two unbeaten players, both on 4 points, met, and the titled player got the better of his opponent to zoom clear of the pack going into the final round.
Round 5 was filled with upsets, with some unrated players coming out victoriously against their rated opponents. For instance, unrated Fasinu Temidayo defeated Eleyinmi Josiah (1840) on board 12, while unrated Olaonipekun Olamide Peace won against Anyanwu Ikechuckwu with the black piece.

In the final round, rising star John Nwachukwu got paired against FM Abdularaheem Abdulrahman Akintoye on the first board. The result of their game was a draw, sealing the tournament victory for the FM. By the end of the final round, three people also tied for second, i.e., Akinseye Oladotun, Abiola Teniola, and Lapite Oluwadurotimi Opeoluwa.
Conclusion

Chess Heights Lagos January edition delivered an electrifying competition, marked by intense battles, unexpected upsets, and standout performances. FM Abdulraheem AbdulRahman Akintoye reaffirmed his dominance, navigating a challenging field to secure victory without a single loss. The tournament also highlighted the growing strength of emerging players, with unrated participants pulling off shocking wins against seasoned opponents. The three-way tie for second place underscored just how competitive the event was, proving that the gap between top players is narrowing. With such a strong showing to kick off the year, Chess Heights Lagos continues to be a proving ground for Nigeria’s brightest chess talents.
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