Bomo Kigigha
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | Bomo Loveth Kigigha 26 September 1982 Bayelsa State, Nigeria |
| Chess career | |
| Country | Nigeria |
| Title | FIDE Master (2016) |
| Peak rating | 2363 (February 2016) |
Bomo Lovet Kigigha, (born 26 September, 1982[1]) is a Nigerian FIDE Master and a 4 time Nigerian champion. He is Nigeria's fourth-highest rated player as of November, 2023 (behind Anwuli Daniel, Adebayo Adegboyega Joel, and Balogun Oluwafemi Daniel), with an Elo rating of 2251.[2]
Early life
Kigigha is the third child out of eight children of Sir and Lady Loveth Kigigha. He is the younger brother of Imino Kigigha[3] who he drew inspiration from while growing up in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria.
Chess Career
After his Olympiad debut in 2008[4] in Dresden, Germany, Kigigha has participated six more times: 2012 in Istanbul, Turkey (Team Nigeria had a podium finish by winning category E[5]), 2014 in Tromso, Norway,[6] 2016 in Baku, Azerbaijan,[7] 2018 in Batumi, Georgia,[8] 2022 in Chennai, India,[9] and 2024 in Budapest, Hungary.[10]
In 2025, Kigigha competed in the FIDE World Cup in Goa, India, where he was defeated in the first round by German Grandmaster Alexander Donchenko, who later reached the quarterfinals.[11][12]
Chess Development Initiatives
Kigigha operates the C-4 Chess Academy in Yenagoa and has been involved in youth chess development programs. He partnered with the Promoting Queeens Chess Club in Yenagoa to empower girls through chess initiatives.[13][14]
Kigigha has mentored several chess prodigies including Goodness Ekunke, nicknamed "Baby-faced Assassin," who represented Africa in the Next Gen Cup organized by Chess.com,[15] and Deborah Quickpen who represented Nigeria at the Chess Olympiad alongside him.[16]
References
- ^ Abali_Jay (10 June 2023). "Kigigha Bomo Lovet – Chess National Champion". Bayelsa State Sports Council. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
- ^ GmbH, ChessBase. "Bomo Kigigha player profile". ChessBase Players. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
- ^ https://ratings.fide.com/profile/8500959
- ^ "Dresden Olympiad (2008)". www.chessgames.com. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
- ^ https://allafrica.com/stories/201209110644.html
- ^ "- Nigeria selected players for Chess Olympiad in Tromsø". Chess Daily News by Susan Polgar. 5 June 2014. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
- ^ Chess.com (News) (28 September 2016). "The Nigerian Team At The Baku Chess Olympiad". Chess.com. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
- ^ "10 Nigerian Players for Chess Olympiad". Premium Times. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
- ^ "Team Nigeria's Players Set for World Chess Olympiad in India - THISDAYLIVE". This Day. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
- ^ Aikigbe, Godwin (15 September 2024). "Team Nigeria depart for FIDE Chess Olympiad". The Punch. Retrieved 7 November 2025.
- ^ "FIDE World Cup 2025: India to host chess spectacle in Goa". The Indian Express. 1 February 2025. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
- ^ "FIDE World Cup 2025 Results". FIDE. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
- ^ "Youngsters shine in chess competition in Yenagoa". Newwaves.ng. 15 February 2024. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
- ^ "Bayelsa FIDE Masters empower girls through chess initiative in Yenagoa". Sports247.ng. 28 January 2024. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
- ^ "Africans at the Next Gen Cup by Chess.com". Africa Chess Media. 3 August 2024. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
- ^ "Chess Olympiad: Quickpen proud to represent Nigeria alongside mentor". The Punch. 6 August 2024. Retrieved 29 November 2024.