The date for the 34th Nigerian breweries PLC international chess open has been announced for the year 2011, the annual chess tournament is slated for the 6 th of November - 13th November 2011, however there is indication that chess players are not satisfied with certain conditions surrounding the conduct of the event . The prize money for the tournament has been left undisclosed by the organizers , the rules especially those affecting tie break is not stated and the players believe they deserve better from the organizers some are even contemplating a boycott of the chess event,because what was agreed on by the players and organizers in the last edition has not seen the light of the day and it seems its same old Beer palour arrangement.
I believe it has not really come to the extent calling for a boycott of the tournament, NBL chess open has been around for many years as the most consistent and surviving chess tournament, the yard stick for determining the Nigerian Chess champion, the tournament is being organized by Nigerian chess Federation and they should bear the responsibility for the proper organization or otherwise of the tournament, Nigerian breweries is just a sponsors and in my humble opinion, they have tried their best and contributed a lot to chess over the years when other sponsors could not continue, Nigerian breweries must be commended For their effort so far.
I believe chess players in Nigeria being intellectuals of the highest caliber and lovers of the brain game (Chess) should be more organized , The Chess players Association of Nigeria CPAN should be registered as a body , with its own constitution and power to liaise with corporate bodies/ would be sponsors directly with the aim and mandate of getting sponsors for at least Four major "Big Money " tournament per year (one in Every quarter )
What do Corporate bodies/ would be sponsors want? take football for example , they look at the followership, in Golf they look at the prestige and the brand. how then can we get sponsors for chess and stop being at the mercy of Nigerian Chess Federation?
1.convene a meeting involving as many chess players as possible as we need to put our "house" in order first, Register CPAN as a juristic and Legal body with the corporate Affairs commission (Sponsors loves to relate with registered and well constituted bodies ) , have a constitution and well outlined set of objectives, goals and targets.2 create awareness among chess players about the "new chess order " in Nigeria, create a chess brand with class , one with prestige that a sponsor would like to identify with, the impression that chess is a gentleman's game only for the intelligent mind !give chess the publicity it deserves on websites, Newspapers, Television/Radio and in Schools, the type that can ensure larger followership !! mystify chess , let the board seem like some kind of voodoo set understandable only to the intelligent mind. let chess players/know about the existence of CPAN3 write to sponsors as a registered and well constituted body , (of course you can perform all the functions of a Non-Government chess organization ) MTN, Etisalat, Oil companies to mention a few aim at having at least four major tournaments yearly and possibly a chess league.
Once we can get sponsors for chess events in Nigeria with better playing conditions and respect for the players/participants , i think we need not worry about NCF , they will probably sit up or pack up. i think with concrete action like getting our acts together as chess players , re branding and packaging ourselves into a marketable force with a high taste everybody will take us serious Tthis is better than any form of revolution and boycott of the NBL, of course we can make moves to negotiate with the organizers but i believe we must act on the points listed above in order to move chess forward in Nigeria, enough of the Beer palour arrangement! The option of a possible boycott will not stop the tournament from holding , it will hold and produce opportunistic Champions and i am not sure if that will solve the problem in the long run, Further comments and suggestions are welcomed. what do you think???
- GM Akinov
Of course , chess players must put their house in order !!
I think Nigerian breweries has tried their best over the years, sticking with the sponsorship of chess, NCF (the chop i chop ) organizers is the real problem here.
me i do not support any boycott plans o , at the end of the day it will still hold and one fish will just become national champion. not every player is on facebook to even know what we are deliberating upon