The highly anticipated ChessMasters tournament will take place at Eko Hotel & Suites, Lagos, gathering over 500 young players from more than 100 schools across Africa for what promises to be the continent’s largest school chess competition. Participants will compete for more than ₦5,000,000 in prize money.
The inaugural event is open to primary school children aged 6 to 11 years old from Lagos who are eager to test their strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities in a high-level competition. The tournament is more than just a contest—it is the beginning of a pan-African movement using chess to foster education, empowerment, and leadership development.
ChessMasters is the result of a groundbreaking partnership between KEY academy, Africa’s first 100% project-based school, Eko Hotel & Suites, a premier cultural venue in Lagos, and Chess in Slums Africa, a globally recognized nonprofit founded by chess champion Tunde Onakoya. This tournament serves as the first step in a larger initiative that aims to shape the future of education across the continent through the transformative power of chess.
“At KEY academy, we believe that education should go beyond memorization and test scores. We aim to cultivate critical thinking, problem-solving, and resilience. ChessMasters is an extension of this philosophy—providing a platform for young minds to develop essential 21st-century skills,” said Damiola Okonkwo, founder of KEY academy.
The tournament has received backing from a variety of major sponsors, including Sterling Bank, 7Up, Mikano, Fidson Healthcare, Paga, and DyeLab, all of which play a key role in supporting education, youth development, and empowerment across sectors such as finance, healthcare, technology, and consumer goods.
This strong sponsorship network reflects the broad support for the ChessMasters initiative, with these prominent companies reinforcing its credibility and potential to create a lasting impact on education across Africa.
Details about tournament winners and upcoming programming will be released in the coming weeks, as the ChessMasters movement continues to evolve as a transformative force in African education.
