By Justina Okpanku
Indian Language School, Lagos has won the inter-school Chess competition, ChessMasters 2026 which was held at Eko Hotels and Suites’ Convention Centre, recently.
At present, ChessMasters 2026 is regarded as Nigeria’s largest interschool chess tournament.
Indian Language School had competed alongside 150 schools in Lagos as the organisers of Chess Masters 2026 sought to boost youth development and Nigeria’s ambition to produce a Grandmaster.
The competition got bigger as the first edition of ChessMasters had 50 schools and 100 players. The second edition (Chessmasters 2026) had 150 schools with 750 players.
The Ilupeju, Lagos-based school coast home to victory winning mouthwatering rewards of N5 million last Saturday.
It’s not a winner -takes- all of sorts. The second position went to Jareb Private School while Dupeolu Childrenland School took third position, smiling home with N3 million and N2 million respectively.
Organisers and partners stressed that the game enhances critical thinking, problem-solving, analytical reasoning, and even vocabulary development among children.
One of the coaches, Agoro Siimi was excited. “I get them (schools) to where there are chess events. My son is here, he’s among the participants. His senior brother is well known, he is already a star but I don’t usually want my kids to love publicity,” Agoro said as his son was introducing the reporter.
He continued, “Chess is about patience. Keep playing, keep winning and never give up.”
The chess enthusiast (Agoro did not only make sure his son was one of the participants at the Nigeria’s largest school chess event which drew 750 students, he is said to have also influenced
15 schools to participate in the Chess Masters 2026.
Others spoke glowingly about ChessMasters saying that it continues to raise the standard of youth chess in Nigeria.
For them, the event showcased not only the growing popularity of chess among young people but also its increasing recognition as a tool for intellectual development and strategic thinking, pointing to a promising future for chess in Nigeria.
Co-founder of ChessMasters, Caline Chagoury Moudaber, who is also a Director at Eko Hotels & Suites, expressed excitement over the event’s success, describing the atmosphere as vibrant and filled with enthusiasm.
Also speaking at the well attended event by both teachers, parents and guardians, the founder of Key Academy and co-founder of Chess Masters, Damilola Okonkwo, noted that the competition continues to promote essential 21st-century skills, calling for greater integration of chess into school curricula nationwide.
Vice President of the Nigerian Chess Federation, Prince Adeyinka Adewole, was impressed. He described the turnout as a significant milestone for the sport, nothing that having hundreds of children compete under one roof without incident reflected strong organisation and discipline.
Adewole also stressed that the competition forms part of a broader roadmap to develop world-class players, including the country’s long-standing ambition to produce a Grandmaster.
According to him, achieving this goal will require increased exposure to international competitions, improved training structures, and sustained investment in grassroots development.
On individuals levels, the participants said the competition was both challenging and rewarding.
A 17-year-old who gave his name as simply Joseph expressed excitement as one of the participants.
His colleague, Devansh Parekh, 10, one of the winners, expressed excitement at securing his first trophy, attributing his success to consistent practice and dedication.
Parents and coaches obviously fun in the day-long competition as they were granting press interwiews, excitedly.
Some of them commended the high level of organisation and participation, describing the tournament as a “massive” and well-executed event.
Stakeholders agreed that ChessMasters 2026 has set a new benchmark, reinforcing the role of chess not just as a game, but as a “powerful platform for developing the next generation of thinkers, innovators, and leaders.”
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