The North Central Zone Open Monthly Classical Chess Tournament May 2026
32 players participated in this 8-round tournament, held from 05 May 2026 to 07 May 2026 in Abuja, Nigeria. 2 titled players. Top 10 Elo average was 2056, and top seed was Bartholomew Emmanuel OKHIPO (🇳🇬 NGR, 2219).
Promise OZIEGBE (🇳🇬 NGR, 1966) won with 6.5/8, ahead of Tyover Collins TYOWASE (6.0) and Mustapha Othman (6.0). OZIEGBE clinched sole first place in the final round.
The biggest upset came in round 4: Bridget MICHAEL (WIM, 1948) beat Bartholomew Emmanuel OKHIPO (2219), a +271-point gap.
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How it unfolded
Top 6 · 8 roundsPromise OZIEGBE led from R8; +0.5-point edge over the runner-up. Title race converged from 3 co-leaders at R4 to 1 by R8.
Promise OZIEGBE takes the sole lead (6.5/8).
Promise OZIEGBE lost to Tyover Collins TYOWASE (Black).
Promise OZIEGBE 4 wins (R3–R6)Tyover Collins TYOWASE 3+3 wins (R1–R3, R5–R7)Mustapha Othman 3 wins (R4–R6)
Key matchups · top 4
Head-to-head between the four finishers| Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Promise OZIEGBE | * | 0 | — | — |
| 2Tyover Collins TYOWASE | 1 | * | 1 | 1 |
| 3Mustapha Othman | — | 0 | * | — |
| 4Bartholomew Emmanuel OKHIPO | — | 0 | — | * |
Grille américaine
| # | Player | Elo | Fed | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 | Pts | Bu C1 | Bu | SB | Perf | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | OZIEGBE, Promise | 1966 | NGR | +26B | −2N | +23B | +25N | +11B | +6B | =7N | +8N | 6.5 | 29.0 | 30.5 | 22.00 | 2213 | +34.2 |
| 2 | TYOWASE, Tyover Collins | 2113 | NGR | +9N | +1B | +3N | −7B | +6N | +8B | +4N | −5B | 6.0 | 38.5 | 43.5 | 33.00 | 2213 | +20.4 |
| 3 | Othman, Mustapha | 1991 | NGR | +30N | +11B | −2B | +24N | +12B | +7B | −8N | +9B | 6.0 | 31.0 | 31.0 | 20.00 | 2170 | +33.6 |
| 4 | OKHIPO, Bartholomew Emmanuel | 2219 | NGR | +29N | +10B | =7N | −6B | +13N | +5N | −2B | +12N | 5.5 | 34.5 | 35.5 | 22.00 | 2126 | -15.4 |
| 5 | ADEJOH, Joshua | 2079 | NGR | =13B | −6N | +21B | +16N | +15N | −4B | +11B | +2N | 5.5 | 31.5 | 34.0 | 21.50 | 2113 | +8.2 |
| 6 | MICHAEL, BridgetWIM | 1948 | NGR | +23N | +5B | =8B | +4N | −2B | −1N | +16B | =7B | 5.0 | 37.0 | 39.0 | 21.50 | 2098 | +27.6 |
| 7 | OKOJIE, Osakwe Simeon | 2009 | NGR | +28N | +31B | =4B | +2N | =8B | −3N | =1B | =6N | 5.0 | 35.0 | 35.0 | 18.00 | 2048 | +7.0 |
| 8 | JOSHUA, Damian | 2030 | NGR | +32N | +24B | =6N | +15B | =7N | −2N | +3B | −1B | 5.0 | 34.0 | 34.0 | 16.50 | 2060 | +13.2 |
| 9 | MANDU, Humphrey Yinalanah | 1870 | NGR | −2B | +22N | −11N | +19B | +17B | +20N | +12B | −3N | 5.0 | 29.5 | 31.5 | 15.50 | 1986 | +35.6 |
| 10 | AKINROGUNDE, Clinton | 2002 | NGR | +21B | −4N | +18B | −12N | +23B | −11N | +19N | +15B | 5.0 | 25.5 | 27.5 | 14.00 | 1922 | -12.2 |
| 11 | Ogosi Raphael-Mary | 2134 | NGR | +16B | −3N | +9B | +13B | −1N | +10B | −5N | F | 4.0 | 35.5 | 35.5 | 17.50 | 2002 | -22.0 |
| 12 | OBIKILI CHINEDU GEORGE | 1959 | NGR | +19N | +20B | −15N | +10B | −3N | +18B | −9N | −4B | 4.0 | 31.0 | 34.0 | 14.00 | 1917 | -8.2 |
| 13 | OJIKUTU, Samuel | 1831 | NGR | =5N | +27B | +17B | −11N | −4B | =15N | +22N | −14B | 4.0 | 28.0 | 29.0 | 11.00 | 1847 | -1.4 |
| 14 | IWUAGWU, Onyedikachi Williams | 1746 | NGR | F | −15B | +27N | F | +25B | −16N | +21B | +13N | 4.0 | 17.5 | 17.5 | 9.50 | 1883 | +14.6 |
| 15 | Atabor, JobCM | 1951 | NGR | F | +14N | +12B | −8N | −5B | =13B | +18N | −10N | 3.5 | 30.5 | 30.5 | 13.00 | 1910 | -6.8 |
| 16 | Sema Sokpo | 1879 | NGR | −11N | +30B | =20N | −5B | +28N | +14B | −6N | −18B | 3.5 | 25.5 | 25.5 | 6.50 | 1801 | -32.0 |
| 17 | OFFOR, Omatule Wisdom | 1700 | NGR | F | +32B | −13N | =20B | −9N | −19B | +26N | +22B | 3.5 | 18.5 | 18.5 | 5.00 | 1778 | +13.2 |
| 18 | OLA, Elijah Praise | 1704 | NGR | −20N | +19B | −10N | F | +24B | −12N | −15B | +16N | 3.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 | 8.50 | 1839 | +34.8 |
| 19 | Ogwuche, Jonathan | 0 | NGR | −12B | −18N | F | −9N | +30B | +17N | −10B | +27N | 3.0 | 21.5 | 21.5 | 4.50 | 1610 | 0.0 |
| 20 | WINSTON-ONYIAH, Sasha | 2017 | NGR | +18B | −12N | =16B | =17N | +22B | −9B | F | F | 3.0 | 21.0 | 21.0 | 8.50 | 1751 | -34.0 |
| 21 | CHUKWUEMEKA, Noah Nduchukwu | 0 | NGR | −10N | −23B | −5N | =26B | +27N | +28B | −14N | F | 2.5 | 20.0 | 20.0 | 2.75 | 1688 | 0.0 |
| 22 | OKEKE, Emmanuel Chinedu | 0 | NGR | −24N | −9B | +30N | +28B | −20N | F | −13B | −17N | 2.0 | 20.5 | 20.5 | 1.00 | 1571 | 0.0 |
| 23 | OSADEBE, Emmanuel | 0 | NGR | −6B | +21N | −1N | +27B | −10N | F | F | F | 2.0 | 20.0 | 20.0 | 3.50 | 1187 | 0.0 |
| 24 | OSADEBE, Michael Ikechukwu | 1959 | NGR | +22B | −8N | +31N | −3B | −18N | F | F | F | 2.0 | 17.0 | 17.0 | 2.00 | 1110 | -33.4 |
| 25 | NWOKOCHA, John Ikedichi | 1870 | NGR | F | +28B | +29N | −1B | −14N | F | F | F | 2.0 | 14.5 | 14.5 | 2.00 | 1835 | -7.2 |
| 26 | NZEKWE, Godday Samuel | 0 | NGR | −1N | −29B | −28N | =21N | F | F | −17B | +30B | 1.5 | 14.5 | 14.5 | 1.25 | 1023 | 0.0 |
| 27 | IWUAGWU, Nkiruka Dominion | 0 | NGR | F | −13N | −14B | −23N | −21B | +30N | F | −19B | 1.0 | 17.5 | 17.5 | 0.00 | 990 | 0.0 |
| 28 | MUSA, Abdulalim | 1681 | NGR | −7B | −25N | +26B | −22N | −16B | −21N | F | F | 1.0 | 16.5 | 16.5 | 1.50 | 1123 | -25.2 |
| 29 | OGUEJIOFOR, Ugochukwu | 1914 | NGR | −4B | +26N | −25B | F | F | F | F | F | 1.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 1.50 | 1245 | -28.0 |
| 30 | FIDE 8596204 | 0 | — | −3B | −16N | −22B | F | −19N | −27B | F | −26N | 0.0 | 19.0 | 19.0 | 0.00 | 1136 | 0.0 |
| 31 | FIDE 8584494 | 0 | — | F | −7N | −24B | F | F | F | F | F | 0.0 | 11.5 | 11.5 | 0.00 | 1190 | 0.0 |
| 32 | OLOWOLAYEMO, Rotimi | 1736 | NGR | −8B | −17N | F | F | F | F | F | F | 0.0 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 0.00 | 1066 | -28.8 |
Key insights
Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.
- 1MANDU, Humphrey YinalanahNGR+35.65.0 pts · #12
- 2OLA, Elijah PraiseNGR+34.83.0 pts · #14
- 3OZIEGBE, PromiseNGR+34.26.5 pts · #6
- 1WINSTON-ONYIAH, SashaNGR-34.03.0 pts · #16
- 2OSADEBE, Michael IkechukwuNGR-33.42.0 pts · #30
- 3Sema SokpoNGR-32.03.5 pts · #13
- R4+271 Elo gap
- R5+255 Elo gap
- R8+175 Elo gap