 Tennyson at the FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament 2025 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 2003 (age 22–23) Delta State, Nigeria |
| Chess career | |
| Country | Nigeria |
| Title | Candidate Master (2025) |
| Peak rating | 2301 (January 2026) |
Tennyson Ewomazino Olisa (born 2003) is a Nigerian chess player who holds the FIDE title of Candidate Master.[1] He won the 2025 Nigeria National Chess Championships (Invitational Open) and won silver at the 2025 FIDE Zone 4.2 West Africa Championship, later winning the 2025 Africa Super Zonal Championship and qualifying for the 2025 FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament.[2][3][4][5]
Early life and education
[edit]
Tennyson Ewomazino Olisa
Tennyson is from Delta State, Nigeria.[5] He is enrolled as a Software Engineering student at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO).[6]
Chess career
[edit]Awards
[edit]In 2023, Tennyson won the John Fawole Chess Award for Junior Player of the Year (Boys).[7]
Nigeria National Chess Championship
[edit]Tennyson competed in the NATIONAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIPS 2025 (INVITATIONAL OPEN) and finished tied for first on points after eleven rounds, advancing to a championship playoff.[2]
His round-by-round results include wins over IM Oluwafemi Balogun, FM Abiola Akinseye, Ajibola Olanrewaju, and a final-round win over Lucky Musa Keyi.[8]
| Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | FM Abdulrahman Abdulraheem Akintoye | Loss |
| 2 | Odey Goodness Ekunke | Win |
| 3 | Bartholomew Emmanuel Okhipo | Win |
| 4 | FM Bomo Kigigha | Loss |
| 5 | IM Oluwafemi Balogun | Win |
| 6 | IM Odion Aikhoje | Draw |
| 7 | FM Abiola Akinseye | Win |
| 8 | FM Denyefa Callistus Eyetonghan | Win (walkover/forfeit shown in tournament record) |
| 9 | Ajibola Olanrewaju | Win |
| 10 | Tersee Ferdinand Nyuima | Draw |
| 11 | Lucky Musa Keyi | Win |
In the playoff against Akintoye, Tennyson won 1.5–0.5, drawing the first game as Black and winning the second game as White to secure the national title.[9][10][11]
He is the reigning Nigerian National Chess Champion.[9][10][11]
Zonal and continental events
[edit]
Zone 4.2 West Africa Championship (2025)
At the 2025 Zone 4.2 West Africa Championship in Lagos, Tennyson won the silver medal with 7/9 points. A highlighted result was his Round 7 win over top seed IM Mariano Ortega Amarelle.[3][12]
2025 Africa Super Zonal Championship
In 2025, Tennyson won the Africa Super Zonal Championship with 7½/9 points, earning Africa’s qualification place for the 2025 FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament.[4][13][14]
FIDE Grand Swiss
[edit]
Tennyson vs Wagner Dennis at the FIDE Grand Swiss
Tennyson vs Salem A.R Saleh
In 2025, Tennyson qualified for the FIDE Grand Swiss via the Africa continental spot; the Nigeria Chess Federation stated he was the first Nigerian to qualify for the event.[5]
Achievements and career highlights
[edit]- 2016 – Discovered chess.[citation needed]
- 2017–2018 – Represented Delta State at the National Youth Games, winning two gold medals, one silver medal and one bronze medal.[citation needed]
- 2021 – Represented Nigeria at the African Junior Chess Championships (Liberia).[citation needed]
- 2022 – Southwest Blitz Champion.[citation needed]
- 2022 – Best Blitz Player (Nigeria) – John Fawole Chess Awards.[citation needed]
- 2023 – Represented Nigeria at the African Junior Chess Championships (Mauritania).[citation needed]
- 2023 – 3rd place, Nigerian National Chess Championship (Open).[15]
- 2023 – John Fawole Chess Award, Junior Player of the Year (Boys).[7]
- 2024 – Gold medalist, Ecobank National Schools Team Chess Championship (Lagos).[citation needed]
- April 2025 – Silver medal, Zone 4.2 West Africa Championship (2nd place).[3][12]
- April 2025 – Africa Super Zonal Champion (7½/9).[4][14]
- 2025 – Double gold medalist, National Sports Festival.[citation needed]
- 2025 – First Nigerian to qualify for and play in the FIDE Grand Swiss.[5]
- 2025 – Defeated multiple titled players, including IM Mariano Ortega Amarelle at the Zone 4.2 West Africa Championship.[3]
- 2025 – Nigeria National Chess Champion (Invitational Open).[2][9][10][11]
Tournament results
[edit]| Year | Event | Location | Placing | Score/notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Southwest National Chess Championship (Blitz) | Nigeria | 4th | 5.5 points (standing order shown) | [16] |
| 2023 | Nigerian National Chess Championship (Open) | Nigeria | 3rd | Tournament report standings | [15] |
| 2023 | African Junior Chess Championships (Open) | Mauritania | 8th | 3.0 points (standing order shown) | [17] |
| 2024 | National Friends of Chess Championship | Nigeria | 13th | Standing order shown | [18] |
| 2024 | Nigeria National Open Team Olympiad Trials | Nigeria | 12th | Standing order shown | [19] |
| 2025 | Zone 4.2 West Africa Championship | Lagos, Nigeria | 2nd | 7/9 (silver medal) | [12][3] |
| 2025 | Africa Super Zonals Chess Championship (Open) | Lagos, Nigeria | 1st | 7.5/9 | [4] |
| 2025 | National Chess Championships (Invitational Open) | Nigeria | Champion | 8 points after 11 rounds; won playoff 1.5–0.5 | [2][9][10][11] |
Beyond the tournaments listed above, Tennyson has also played in other FIDE-profiled events including the Nigeria National Sports Festival (chess) and other international opens.[20]
Notable games
[edit]Win vs IM Mariano Ortega Amarelle (Zone 4.2 West Africa Championship, 2025)
[edit].png)
Ortega Amarelle–Tennyson, Zone 4.2 West Africa Championship 2025
Tennyson’s Round 7 win over the top seed was highlighted in FIDE’s Zone 4.2 tournament report.[3]
[Event "AFRICA ZONE 4.2 OPEN"] [Site "LAGOS"] [Date "2025.04.06"] [Round "7"] [Board "3"] [White "Ortega Amarelle, Mariano"] [Black "Olisa, Tennyson Ewomazino"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2420"] [BlackElo "2137"] 1. Nf3 g6 2. c4 Bg7 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 d6 5. e4 O-O 6. Be2 e5 7. Be3 Nc6 8. d5 Ne7 9. Nd2 Ne8 10. b4 f5 11. f3 Nf6 12. c5 fxe4 13. fxe4 Nh5 14. Bf3 Nf4 15. O-O g5 16. Nc4 b6 17. a4 Neg6 18. Ra2 Nh4 19. Bg4 Bxg4 20. Qxg4 h5 21. Qd1 Qe7 22. g3 Nh3+ 23. Kh1 Ng6 24. Rxf8+ Rxf8 25. Qxh5 Rf1+ 26. Kg2 Qf7 27. Qg4 Re1 28. Qe6 g4 29. Qxf7+ Kxf7 30. cxd6 cxd6 31. Nxd6+ Kg8 32. Nf5 Ngf4+ 33. gxf4 exf4 34. Nxg7 Rxe3 35. Nh5 f3+ 36. Kg3 f2+ 37. Kg2 Re1 38. Rxf2 Rg1# 0-1
Gallery
[edit]-
FIDE Grand Swiss
Ratings
[edit]Tennyson’s peak standard rating is 2301 (January 2026).[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Olisa, Tennyson Ewomazino (FIDE profile)". FIDE Ratings. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
- ^ a b c d "NATIONAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIPS 2025 (INVITATIONAL OPEN)". Chess-Results.com. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
- ^ a b c d e f "Abdulrahman Akintoye and Toritsemuwa Ofowino win 2025 Zone 4.2 West Africa Championship". FIDE. 16 April 2025. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
- ^ a b c d "AFRICA SUPER ZONALS CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP 2025 – FIDE tournament report". FIDE Ratings. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
- ^ a b c d "Breaking Barriers: Tennyson Olisa Makes History at the Grand Swiss". Nigeria Chess Federation. 8 October 2025. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
- ^ "List of Pre-Degree Candidates Admitted into Regular Programme (2021/2022 Academic Session)". Federal University of Technology, Owerri – Resources. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
- ^ a b "The John Fawole Chess Awards 2024: Nigeria's chess community honors its finest". The Guardian Nigeria. 10 October 2024. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
- ^ a b "NATIONAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIPS 2025 (INVITATIONAL OPEN) – Tennyson Ewomazino Olisa (results by round)". Chess-Results.com. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
- ^ a b c d "Official playoff result announcement". Instagram. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
- ^ a b c d "NCC Invitationals Playoffs (broadcast)". Lichess. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
- ^ a b c d "National Chess Championship (NCC) 2025 Open – Playoffs (games)". Chess.com. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
- ^ a b c "AFRICA ZONE 4.2 CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP 2025 – FIDE tournament report". FIDE Ratings. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
- ^ "Tennyson Olisa Wins African Super Zonal Chess Championship". TVC News. 16 April 2025. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
- ^ a b Nigeria's Tennyson Olisa Becomes Africa's Chess Champion. YouTube. Channels Television. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
- ^ a b "NATIONAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP (MALE) 2023 – Tournament report". FIDE Ratings. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
- ^ "Southwest National Chess Championship (Blitz) – FIDE tournament report". FIDE Ratings. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
- ^ "African Junior Chess Championships (Open) – FIDE tournament report". FIDE Ratings. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
- ^ "National Friends of Chess Championship – FIDE tournament report". FIDE Ratings. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
- ^ "Nigeria National Open Team Olympiad Trials – FIDE tournament report". FIDE Ratings. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
- ^ "Olisa, Tennyson Ewomazino (FIDE player overview)". Lichess. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
External links
[edit]- Tennyson Olisa rating card at FIDE