Platform Schools Ipaja Clinches 2026 Ecobank Chess Championship

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

The secondary school category of the 2026 Ecobank National Schools Team Chess Championship has been won by Platform School, Baruwa, Ipaja, after defeating Dayspring School.

The competition was sponsored by Ecobank Nigeria, in partnership with SchoolMate, Newcross, Exploration & Production Limited, GZI Limited, Frutta and the Nigeria Chess Federation (NCF).

The contest attracted over a thousand students from schools across the country to the Ecobank Pan African Centre (EPAC) in Lagos.

Platform School clinched the first spot after six rounds with 16 match points, edging Dayspring School, which also finished unbeaten but settled for second place on tiebreaks. King’s College Lagos claimed third position after an impressive campaign.

The result further strengthened the growing rivalry between Platform School and Dayspring School. Platform School won the maiden edition of the Ecobank-sponsored championship before Dayspring School emerged as champions in the second edition. Platform School, however, bounced back strongly by reclaiming the title in the third edition and has now secured back-to-back titles after winning the fourth edition. Meanwhile, Dayspring School have now recorded consecutive second-place finishes following their triumph in the second edition.

In the primary category, Chess in Slums Africa delivered a dominant performance, winning all six matches to finish with a perfect score of 18 match points. First Baptist Group of Schools also finished with a perfect win record but settled for second place on tiebreaks, while Jareb Private School, Ogun, finished third. The event witnessed remarkable performances from young players, further highlighting the rapid growth of grassroots chess development in Nigeria.

The Primary Category title was especially significant for Chess in Slums Africa, as the team received celebrations and support on-site from Tunde Onakoya, whose presence added excitement and inspiration to the young players during the close of the championship and the closing ceremony.

Speaking about the event, the Head of Educational and Social Services at Ecobank, Mr Kunle Adewoyi, urged the students to strive hard to become Grand Masters in the near future.

“There are Grand Masters in Kenya, Rwanda and some other African countries, but, sadly, we don’t have any in Nigeria at the moment. It is our prayer that some of these students will become one in the near future,” he stated.

Mr Adewoyi said that Ecobank was particular about chess sponsorship because it helps in the development of the kids.

The Vice President of the Nigerian Chess Federation, Mr Adeyinka Adewale, was full of praise for Ecobank and other partners for sponsoring the tournament, just as he promised that next year’s edition will be bigger and better.