Lagos Leatherbacks A Wildcard
The Lagos Leatherbacks are the third time from Africa, companions of the Johannesburg Koeksisters and the Abuja Rockstars. The Rockstars are also from the Leatherbacks home country of Nigeria. Nigeria is a country of 173 million, the largest in Africa.
While the Leatherbacks top players (FM Olufemi Balogun 2222, Sung Ho Yim 2197, CM Chukwunonso Oragwu 2155, Oluwadurotimi Lapite 2067, and Kolawole Ladokunare 1934) are experienced international competitors with established ratings, many of their players (Damilola Ojo, Deji Adegbite, Gboyega Oyinloye, Joseph Obioma, and Somtochukwu Okpegbuo) have no international ratings yet. Unrated African players have often delivered surprisingly good results in Olympiads as, for instance, South Sudan did this year.
Balogun must be one of the strengths of the Nigerian squad. He is considered one of the fastest players in Nigeria, and one looks forward to seeing his speed skills applied in the rapid format of the PRO Chess League.
Sung Ho Yim also has experience in the league format, having played in the U.S. Chess League and racking up a powerful performance and some MVP credits.
The PRO Chess League welcomes the Lagos Leatherbacks!
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