D-VINE CHESS ACADEMY SPRINGS UP IN IBADAN

By Raymond Tolulope

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The continuous growthof the game of Chess reached another height on Saturday, March 25, 2023 as another academy was birthed at Odo-Ona Elewe area of Ibadan, Oyo State.

The growth of chess has been on a constant rise in the Pacesetter State and to further expand more, Tobi Bamidele inaugurated D-Vine Chess Academy last Saturday. The event took place at Al-Muqit Building, Idi-ope, Bota Quarters, Odo-ona Ona Elewe, Ibadan and it recorded tremendous success.

If your are familiar with Odo-Ona Elewe area of Ibadan, you'd know that setting up a chess academy is a huge task considering the development of that area.

The Chief Director of the D-vine Chess Academy, Tobi Bamidele, isn't bothered nor discouraged about the area, instead he wants to bring life to young ones in the area.

Speaking in an interview, Tobi expressed his love for chess, hence his decision to promote the game and impact lives.

"Chess is a real life problem solving game that deals with the involvement of the human mind, and a game of equalizer.

I studied the lives of my cousins and I discovered that they never got trapped, then I decided to learn chess 4-5 years ago. 

My goal is to enlighten and create awareness the more in the grassroot level, hence, the creation of D-vine Chess Academy."

Tobi had a word of encouragement for parents to support their children be it winning or losing. He also urged the children to analyse why they win, why they draw and why they lost and learn from it.

The launching ceremony also had a chess tournament amongst 24 children of U-8 and U-12 only.

At the end of the tournament which adopted a Swiss format of six rounds and a time control of 10 minutes flat, Oladimeji Ibukun and Ogunbayo Oluwadamisire emerged champions of the U-8 male and female category respectively, while Ogunbayo Oluwafunminire and Lakar Esther emerged champions of the U-12 male and female category respectively.

Present at the ceremony is the Chairman, Oyo State Chess Association, Iredele Ogunbayo.