Ofowino Toritsemuwa has emerged as the new Nigeria Women’s National Chess Champion at the just concluded 2024 National Chess Championship at the Orchid Hotel, Lekki.
Playing her first National tournament in 2012, Toritsemuwa has been in the dugout of the Nigerian chess industry as she battles her way up the ladder of women in chess.
Toritsemuwa blew past all her opponents with strong statement moves on the chessboard. She won eight consecutive games before she was stopped by a resurgent Onoja Joy, who finished 3rd on the final standing.
After the loss, Toritsemuwa picked herself up and secured victory in her next match, which crowned her as the 2024 Nigeria Women’s National Chess Champion. She further added the title of Speed chess champion to her trophy cabinet, as she claimed the Jonathan Odega National Women’s Blitz Chess Championship.
So far this year, Toritsemuwa achieved 47 wins, 10 draws and 12 loses in a total of 69 games played.
As the National Women’s Chess Champion, she is in line to receive a prize money and an all expenses paid trip to represent Nigeria at the 2025 Africa Chess Championships in Botswana, where she hopes to further make the country proud by becoming the first Nigerian lady to win the Continental Grand championship and become the very first Nigerian Woman Grandmaster (WGM).
Hot on her heels was 11-year-old Nwankwo Michelle, who started playing chess at the tender age of six, and has fast become a household name in the Nigerian Chess scene.
Michelle finished the championship in 2nd place, after producing some amazing games and securing 8/11 points.
Apart from the prize fund that Michelle is entitled to, she will also receive the support of the Federation to receive full board and lodge, when Nigeria hosts other West Africans at the 2025 West Africa Chess Championships.
