The quiet concentration of young minds took centre stage at SQI College of ICT, Ogbomoso, as students, staff and young chess enthusiasts gathered for a one-day chess tournament designed to promote strategic thinking, learning and meaningful interaction.
The tournament brought together young players in a competitive but engaging atmosphere, with participants testing their skills across the chessboard while learning from one another.
The event was supported by chessboards donated to SQI College of ICT by The Gift of Chess, through their Chief Content Writer, Minkail Olaitan. What began as a donation of chess equipment became an opportunity to create a gathering around a game known for developing patience, concentration, strategy and critical thinking.
The tournament also connected Ogbomoso to the wider chess community, with Tunde Onakoya, founder of Chess in Slums Africa, joining virtually from Ghana. Coach Russ, President of Gift of Chess International, was also present at the event.
For a period, the geographical distance between Ogbomoso, Ghana and the international chess community became almost irrelevant. The focus was on the players, their boards and the decisions unfolding with every move.
More Than a Game
For SQI College of ICT, the event was about more than chess.
The institution, which has been training young people in technology since 2008, sees critical thinking, problem-solving and disciplined decision-making as important components of preparing young people for the future.
While these skills are often associated with programming, artificial intelligence, data science and other areas of technology, chess offers a different environment in which the same abilities can be developed.
Every move requires consideration. Every decision has consequences. Players must assess their current position while anticipating what their opponents could do next.
On the chessboard, the instruction is simple: think before you move.
That principle is equally relevant in technology and in everyday life.
Ogbomoso Takes Its Place on the Chessboard
Ogbomoso is a historic city with a growing population of young people pursuing education, developing businesses, building careers and exploring new opportunities.
Events that bring together education, competition and creativity provide young people with opportunities to interact beyond the traditional classroom.
The tournament also demonstrated that initiatives capable of connecting young people to wider communities do not have to begin in Nigeria’s largest cities.
A chessboard in Ogbomoso can become a point of connection to Ghana and the wider global chess community.
For the young participants, the experience was an opportunity to compete, learn and engage with others who share an interest in the game.
From Chessboards to New Possibilities
The chessboards donated to SQI College of ICT were initially simply tools for playing a game.
During the tournament, they became something more.
They became a reason for young people to gather. They became a platform for learning and interaction. And they became a bridge connecting a technology college in Ogbomoso with individuals and organisations working to expand access to chess and youth development.
The tournament may have produced winners and losers, but its broader significance went beyond the final results.
It showed how a simple game can create a space for young people to think, compete, connect and imagine new possibilities.
At SQI College of ICT, the board may contain only 64 squares, but for the young people gathered around it in Ogbomoso, the possibilities extend far beyond the board.
The game ended. The next move is still theirs to make.
