Oyo State Chess Association

*WORLD CHESS DAY* 🏆♟️ *Blazing Kings Games Club (BKGC)* is excited to host a special edition of BKGC MRCT for July edition, as part of celebration for World Chess Day on Saturday, 20th July, 2024. 🏆 Please contact @Olabodeblaze on +2348154223921 for more info.

A few weeks ago, I attended @ecobank_nigeria ‘s Chess tournament where over a thousand children from the top schools in Nigeria competed under one roof. As I made my way through the Aisle, I felt a gentle tug at my trousers, as I looked back it was Samad. My heart leaped with Joy as I hadn’t seen him in almost a year. He looked sharp in his school uniform and was gently seated in front of a chess board with other kids from the most elite schools in the country. He told me he was representing his school at the tournament , having travelled with his team from Ibadan. I fought back tears The thing is we first met Samad 2 years ago as a homeless child living under Mokola bridge in Ibadan, hung up on drugs and without hope. For several weeks, we gave him and many other children the gift of chess because where the mind goes, everything else follows. It set his life on a different trajectory. And there he was carefully blended with other kids from Elite schools and wealthy families. Chess had given Samad his own intellectual identity, one that has helped him find his place in the world. You can imagine the joy in my heart when I saw him again, he wasn’t even playing for the Chess in slums team. He went on to lead his school to a joint third position with a stellar performance at the tournament. The last couple of months have been terribly hectic for me and the team as we’ve barely had anytime to rest/sleep. It’s easy to empower an adult and walk away but with children, it’s a lot more complex and you really have to hold their hands through all of the highs and lows. But days like this remind us why our fight is different ❤️. It’s a fight for the dreams and hopes of children like Samad who need us to do great things from small places everyday. It took a village. A big thank you to the @satusdignuscri (Please reach out to support their incredible work as well)for providing shelter for Samad when we needed a new home for him and for never giving up on him through the years. And to everyone who continue to support our work through donations, thank you❤️. You help us Dare greatly This is Day 1.

The birth and commencement of The Chess League Ibadan @chessleague_ib in February 2020 impacted significantly on grassroot development of the game in Oyo state #Nigeria . The maiden edition ended on a successful note. Looking forward to better editions. @dr_doex @FIDE_chess

The 2nd edition of DCA Juniors Chess tourney held in Oyo state #Nigeria last weekend had a turn out of 180+ players (U18 and below). It was a privilege to lead the team of umpires. @OyoStateChess and @BlazingKings_GC were proud supporters. @dr_doex @thegiftofchess @FIDE_chess

Meet the youngest chess protege in the city of Ibadan, Oyo state currently groomed by @BlazingKings_GC in a shelter facility for vulnerable children. Oluwadarasimi (4yrs) is on her quest to becoming the youngest female #Nigerian chess champion 🏆. @GiftOfChess @Tunde_OD @dr_doex