The John Fawole Chess AwardsNigeria Chess Awards

The John Fawole Chess Awards

Rewarding Excellence Since 2016

Nigeria's first awards of their kind, celebrating the players, coaches, organizers, arbiters, and administrators who carry Nigerian chess at home and abroad.

Celebrating 10 years, 2016 to 2026

How Voting Works Winners Archive

The official emblem of the awards, in black and gold.

10th Anniversary Vote

The nominees

The 10th anniversary covers two years in review: 2024 and 2025. The awards team has announced the nominees below. One vote per person in each category.

2025 Year in Review

Award Category

Man Player of the Year

5 nominees

Olisa Tennyson Ewomazino
Abdulraheem Abdulrahman Akintoye
Okhipo Bartholomew Emmanuel
Uraih Patrick Onyeka
Aikhoje Odion

Award Category

Woman Player of the Year

5 nominees

Quickpen Deborah Ebimobo-Ere
Suleiman Azumi Ayisha
Ofowino Toritsemuwa
Ajanwachukwu Eunice
Michael Bridget

Award Category

Junior Male Player of the Year

6 nominees

Uraih Patrick Onyeka
Osayande Kingsley
Okwuosa Chukwunonso Emmanuel
Yakubu Daniel Musa
Nyuima Tersee Ferdinand
Akinrogunde Clinton

Award Category

Junior Girl Player of the Year

4 nominees

Quickpen Deborah Ebimobo-Ere
Nwankwo Michelle Chiamaka
Monday Musa Naomi
Ishaya Rejoice Kira

Award Category

Blitz Player of the Year

5 nominees

Aikhoje Odion
Lapite Oluwadurotimi Opeoluwa
Eyetonghan Denyefa Callistus
Ekunke Odey Goodness
Olisa Tennyson Ewomazino

Award Category

Arbiter of the Year

6 nominees

Boyo Paul Kehinde
Oyeleye Olawale
Ojikutu Samuel
Ogbonnaya Obinna
Omotayo Amisu
Durotoye Bode Alli

2024 Year in Review

Award Category

Man Player of the Year

5 nominees

Nyuima Tersee Ferdinand
Abdulraheem Abdulrahman Akintoye
Okhipo Bartholomew Emmanuel
Aikhoje Odion
Eyetonghan Denyefa Callistus

Award Category

Woman Player of the Year

5 nominees

Ofowino Toritsemuwa
Onoja Iyefu Joy
Michael Bridget
Quickpen Deborah Ebimobo-Ere
Nwankwo Michelle Chiamaka

Award Category

Junior Male Player of the Year

6 nominees

Nyuima Tersee Ferdinand
Alagoa Ayebaenemibarakere Domo
Ekunke Odey Goodness
Uraih Patrick Onyeka
Tyowase Tyover Collins
Nwankwo Victor Chibuikem

Award Category

Junior Girl Player of the Year

5 nominees

Onoja Iyefu Joy
Quickpen Deborah Ebimobo-Ere
Nwankwo Michelle Chiamaka
Ebiakpo Ebisinde Treasure
Ishaya Rejoice Kira

Award Category

Blitz Player of the Year

5 nominees

Balogun Oluwafemi Daniel
Lapite Oluwadurotimi Opeoluwa
Edet Udeme Dominic
Koko Obubele
Ekunke Odey Goodness

Award Category

Arbiter of the Year

4 nominees

Boyo Paul Kehinde
Oyeleye Olawale
Ogbonnaya Obinna
Omotayo Amisu

Cast your vote

The official ballot for both years in review opens soon. Use the 2024 and 2025 tabs inside the ballot to vote for each year. One vote per person in each category.

Ready to vote?

The official ballot for the 2024 and 2025 years in review opens soon.

Vote in the official ballot

Arbiter of the Year nominees are also under peer review by fellow arbiters.

Live Results

Live standings

This page is public. Anyone can follow the vote here as it happens and see who is leading in every category, whether or not they are voting themselves. The standings update automatically as new ballots are counted.

Live Loading live results...

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Winners are decided by public voting combined with data analytics.

About the Awards

A decade of honoring Nigerian chess

The John Fawole Chess Awards were founded in 2016 by FIDE Master John Oyeyemi Fawole, Nigeria National Champion in 2013 and National Junior Champion in 2003. The awards are the first of their kind in Nigeria and West Africa, created because there had never been a reputable and consistent platform for recognizing the performances of chess players, arbiters, administrators, organizers, and coaches. The awards stand at par with the Nigeria Sports Awards.

Each year, the awards honor outstanding players, coaches, organizers, arbiters, and administrators who have contributed to Nigerian chess, whether through excellent representation of Nigeria in chess events or through deliberate promotion of chess among Nigerians. The purpose is simple: celebrate excellence among Nigerian chess players at home and abroad, and grow chess awareness and motivation across Nigeria.

Winners emerge from an online public vote, combined with data analytics. Over 50 awards were presented between 2016 and 2019.

Read more on Grokipedia

2016Year the awards were founded

10 yearsOf celebrating Nigerian chess, 2016 to 2026

30Awards presented at the 2024 ceremony

1stAwards of their kind in Nigeria and West Africa

Voting

How voting works

The 10th anniversary covers two years in review: 2024 and 2025. The nominees for both years are announced in the 10th Anniversary Vote section above, and public voting opens there soon. Here is how an announced nominee becomes a name called out on awards night.

1

Nominees announced

The awards team has announced the nominees for each category in the 10th Anniversary Vote section above.

2

Public online vote

One vote per person. The official ballot enforces one response per voter, so nobody can vote twice. Online polls open for a voting window of about a month.

3

Data analytics

This edition is decided by public voting combined with data analytics. Data analytics was introduced at the last award in 2024. For this 2026 edition, winners are confirmed through the public vote and data analytics.

4

Celebration

Winners are announced and honored at the awards ceremony, in front of the Nigerian chess community.

Methodology

How Player of the Year Is Decided

Introduced for the 2024 season and applied again for the 2025 awards, this framework decides the season Player of the Year titles.

Player of the Year

Player of the Year: the three stages

Stage 1

Z-Score

Players are ranked by dominance relative to the strength of the fields they faced. The Z-score is the primary ranking metric, and it shortlists the top 5.

Stage 2

Weighted Score

Among the top 5, the winner is selected by absolute scoring quality, with more weight given to harder events.

Stage 3

Final Decision

Voting is part of the decision: the public online vote counts alongside the statistical ranking in deciding the winners.

Tournament difficulty weights

Elite ProContinental and invitational fields 4
EliteNational-level opens 3
IntermediateRegional and club events 2
AmateurLocal events 1

Podium bonuses

Podium finishes earn position bonuses scaled by difficulty.
Every player in the National Championship Invitational earns a participation bonus.

Other Categories

Other award categories

Other award categories are decided by the public online vote, one vote per person.

Arbiter of the Year

Arbiter of the Year

Arbiter of the Year follows the same pattern: the shortlisted arbiters are voted for on the public ballot, and a peer review questionnaire sent to fellow arbiters forms part of the decision.

Earlier Editions

Earlier editions, 2016 through 2023

Earlier editions, from 2016 through 2023, decided winners through a public online vote combined with a judges review: a panel of judges reviewed the public vote results. The current 10th anniversary edition is decided differently, by public voting combined with data analytics, with no panel of judges.

Winners Archive

Ten years of winners

Every edition of the awards, year by year. Select a year to see the ceremony details and the winners honored.

2025 Season: Player of the Year, winners not yet decidedPart of the 10th anniversary, two years in review.

The nominees for this year in review are listed in the 10th Anniversary Vote section above. Winners have not been decided.

2024 Season: Player of the Year, winners not yet decidedPart of the 10th anniversary, two years in review.

The nominees for this year in review are listed in the 10th Anniversary Vote section above. Winners have not been decided.

Arbiter of the Year: How the Winner Is Chosen

Stage 1

Data-driven shortlist

A data-driven shortlist built from chess-results.com tournament records, ranking arbiters by the significant tournaments they worked as Chief Arbiter or Deputy Chief Arbiter.

Stage 2

Public vote

A public vote. The shortlisted arbiters are nominees on the public ballot for the 10th anniversary vote, listed in the 10th Anniversary Vote section above, and the public votes for them just as in every other category.

Stage 3

Peer review

A peer review questionnaire sent to fellow arbiters, rating rules knowledge, fairness and impartiality, communication and professionalism, punctuality and organization, and handling of disputes, with written answers analyzed using sentiment analysis. The peer review feeds into the data analytics, alongside the public vote, and winners are decided by public voting combined with data analytics.

Quality of arbiting, not volume of tournaments, guides the peer review.

2025 shortlist

Boyo Paul Kehinde
Oyeleye Olawale
Ojikutu Samuel
Ogbonnaya Obinna
Omotayo Amisu
Durotoye Bode Alli

2024 shortlist

Boyo Paul Kehinde
Oyeleye Olawale
Ogbonnaya Obinna
Omotayo Amisu

Winners to be announced following the public vote and peer review.

2024 Awards CeremonyChevron Recreation Center, Gbagada, Lagos. 30 awards presented.

The 2024 ceremony was held on September 27, 2024 at Chevron Recreation Center, Gbagada, Lagos, where 30 awards were presented. Guests of honor were FIDE Vice President Lekan Adeyemi and Nigeria Chess Federation Vice President Prince Adewole Adeyinka. The ceremony announced the year in review winners for 2022 and 2023.

Year in review 2022

Player of the Year 2022Adegboyega Adebayo
Woman Player of the Year 2022Perpetual Ogbiyoyo
Junior Player of the Year 2022 (Boys)Callistus Denyefa Eyetonghan
Junior Player of the Year 2022 (Girls)Onoja Iyefu Joy

Year in review 2023

Player of the Year 2023Bomo Kigigha
Woman Player of the Year 2023Deborah Quickpen
Junior Player of the Year 2023 (Boys)Olisa Tennyson
Junior Player of the Year 2023 (Girls)Deborah Quickpen

2023Winners announced at the 2024 ceremony.

Categories for the 2023 edition included Junior Player of the Year (Boys), Junior Player of the Year (Girls), Blitz Player of the Year, Online Blitz Player of the Year, Online Organizer of the Year, Organizer of the Year, Arbiter of the Year, Man Player of the Year, Woman Player of the Year, and Special Recognition Awards.

Full winners list being compiled.

2022Year in review winners announced at the 2024 ceremony.

Junior Player of the Year (Boys)Callistus Denyefa Eyetonghan
Junior Player of the Year (Girls)Onoja Iyefu Joy
Woman Player of the YearWFM Perpetual Ogbiyoyo
Player of the YearFM Adebayo Adegboyega
Blitz Player of the YearOlisa Tennyson
Online Blitz Player of the YearOyakhilome David
Organizer of the YearKunle Kasunmu
Online Organizer of the YearSamson Ofubu
Arbiter of the YearFA Bayo Paul Kehinde

Special Recognition

Dr. Apologies Akomaka
Dr. MacDonald Onyekwere
Dr. Chroma Jovita
Ive Urieto
Prof. Clement Bewaji

2021Decided in 2022, by public vote.

The 2021 awards, decided in 2022. Winners decided by online public vote.

Player of the YearIM Elect Ajibola Olanrewaju, 41.8%NomineesIM Elect Ajibola Olanrewaju 41.8%, FM Abimbola Osunfuyi 36%, FM Oragwu Chukwnonso 19.8%, IM Daniel Anwuli 1.2%, IM Adu Oladapo 0.6%
Woman Chess Player of the YearWFM Deborah Akintoye, 64.6%NomineesWFM Deborah Akintoye 64.6%, WFM Perpetual Ogbiyoyo 31.2%, WFM Elect Peace Samson 3%, Iyefu Onoja 0.6%, Assa Oluwaseun 0%
Junior Player of the Year (Boys)Isaac Okeke, 37.4%NomineesOkeke Isaac 37.4%, Kere Aloga 33.6%, Callistus Eyentogha 11.8%, Okemakinde Toluwanimi 6%, Tennyson Olisa 1.2%
Junior Player of the Year (Girls)Jessica Pelomoh, 35%NomineesJessica Pelomoh 35%, Iyanuoluwa Olowe 33%, Deborah Quickpen 19%, Iyefu Onoja 13%
Online Organizer of the YearSamson Ofubu, 57%NomineesSamson Ofubu 57%, Titoluwani Raphael (64squares) 3%, Rotimi Odunnaiya 3%
Arbiter of the YearFA Boyo-Paul Kehinde, 57%NomineesFA Boyo-Paul Kehinde 57%, IA Obinna Ogbonnaya 36%, NA Olawale Peter Oyeleye 4.2%, NA Elect Ojikutu Samuel 2.4%
Online Blitz Player of the YearFM Abimbola Osunfuyi, 56%NomineesFM Abimbola Osunfuyi 56%, IM Odion Aikhoje 37%, FM Adeboyega Adebayo 4.8%, IM Adu Oladapo 1.2%, IM Bunmi Olape 0.6%
Chess Club of the YearCreekside Chess Club Port Harcourt, 57.8%NomineesCreekside Chess Club Port Harcourt 57.8%, Orchid Lekki Chess Club Lagos 28%, Pedachess Academy Lagos 2.4%, Zalika Chess Club Abuja 1.8%

Awards of Recognition

His Excellency Governor Chukwuemeka EzeifeFormer Governor of Anambra State and past NCF Chairman.
Austin ApemiyeNigeria Chess Federation Board member and CEO of the Go for a Nigerian Grandmaster Initiative.
Navy Captain Musa Abdullahi (Rtd.)Chairman of the Kaduna State Chess Association and sponsor of many chess tournaments.
Lovejoy Ezinna OgbokiriPillar of chess in Abia State and supporter of numerous chess events and projects.
Sir Braveman WodiSports Director of the Bayelsa State Sports Council, veteran player, FIDE Arbiter, and sponsor.
Dr. Owen MadukaPillar of chess in Anambra State and veteran chess player.
Engr. Emmanuel Frank OpigoDirector of Works at Niger Delta University, veteran player, and Chairman of the Bayelsa State Chess Association.
Diran OgungbolaVeteran player, sponsor, and supporter of chess events in the southwest.
Jonathan OdegaAdvocate of chess.
Charles CampbellCandidate Master and Chess Olympian who helped form the Chess Players Association of Nigeria.
Brigid WhiteAuthor of a chess book, former National Women Chess Champion, now Assistant Director of the Akwa Ibom State Sports Council.
Etokowo ImehWoman Candidate Master, Chess Olympian, first Nigerian to win a Chess Olympiad medal (bronze).
Solomon EdivriAdvocate of chess development with weekly chess talks on radio.
Coach Peter AgbonkheseLongest serving chess coach of Edo State and former national coach of Team Nigeria.
Dr. Bawa MohammedSupporter of chess in Northern Nigeria and former Nigeria Chess Federation Vice President.
Fola AkintolaSix time Nigeria National Chess Champion, International Master, and Olympian.
Agusto ObafunmilayoFirst African Junior Chess Champion and FIDE Master.
Mr. Emmanuel OmukuFormer Executive Director of FIDE, Chess Olympian, and former Nigeria National Chess Champion.

2020Virtual ceremony, December 12, 2020. 16 categories, over 1,000 votes.

The 2020 ceremony was held virtually on December 12, 2020 and streamed live on YouTube, Facebook and Periscope. The edition ran 16 categories and drew over 1,000 votes in under three weeks.

Man Chess Player of the YearAnwuli Daniel
Women Chess Player of the YearToritsemuwa Onokpite
Junior Chess Player of the Year (Male)Okeke Isaac
Junior Chess Player of the Year (Female)Pelemoh Jessica
Organizer of the YearDasaolu Rotimi
Online Chess OrganizerSamson Ofubu and Titoluwani Raphael
Chess Club of the YearOrchid-Lekki Chess Club
Most Outstanding Chess Team of the Year (Male)Oyo Chess Team (NSF 2018)
Most Outstanding Chess Team of the Year (Female)Oyo Chess Team (NSF 2018)
Youth Team of the Year (Male)Bayelsa Junior Team
Youth Team of the Year (Female)Lagos State Junior Chess Team
Online Blitz Player of the YearFM Adegboyega Adebayo
Arbiter of the YearOgbonnaya Obinna
Chess Reporter of the YearSolomon Edivri Troy

Special Service Awards

Boyo Paul Kehinde
Obinna Ogbonnaya
Femi Solaja

Special Recognition

Dr. Sylvanus Ebigwei Olisanye
Dr. Pius Okigbo
Osayuwamen Peace Saleh
IM Odion Aikhoje
Arc. Theophilus Caiafas
Mr. Omotayo Roberts
Top Radio 90.9
Kennis FM 104.1
Ogunsiku Babatunde
Adesewa Oyewole

2019Winners list being compiled.

Winners list being compiled.

2018Ceremony held in December 2019 at Chevron Recreation Club, Gbagada, Lagos.

Year in review 2018. Ceremony held in December 2019 at Chevron Recreation Club, Gbagada, Lagos.

Most Outstanding Chess Player (Male)Abdulrahman Abduraheem Akintoye
Most Outstanding Chess Player (Female)Perpetual Ogbiyoyo
Arbiter of the Year (Male)Olawale Peter Oyeleye
Best Organized Chess Tournament of the YearMGI Chess Championship
Tournament Director of the YearOlawale Peter Oyeleye
Most Outstanding Senior AwardDavid Erahbor
Award of Recognition, Most Outstanding in WAUG (Male)Daniel Anwuli
Award of Recognition, Most Outstanding in WAUG (Female)Perpetual Ogbiyoyo
Promoter of the YearSalem Fly
Award of Recognition, Most Outstanding Grassroots Development ProjectChess in the Slum (Tunde Onakoya)
Personality of the YearTajudeen Oyeneyin
Award of Recognition, Most Outstanding All-Time Tournament DirectorRotimi Dasaolu
Team Leader of the YearAyokanmi Ajayi
Most Outstanding U-10 Player (Male)Osadebe Emmanuel
Most Outstanding U-10 Player (Female)Oluyisola Abiola Diamond
Most Outstanding U-20 Player (Male)Kikosem Igwubor
Most Outstanding U-20 Player (Female)Akintoye Deborah
Most Consistent Online PlayerAikhoje Odion
Best Online TournamentChess Online Nigeria (CNO)
Arbiter of the Year (Female)Alhaji Tayo Amisu

Awards of Recognition

Ayo Tuase
Nnamdi Nwoye
Bimbo Fajemirokun
Robert Asibor
George Lolomari
Femi Adebajo
Lekan Adeyemi
Rotimi Odunaiya
Adewole Adeyinka
Rachael Dappa
DIG (Rtd.) Sani Mohammed
Aisha Jimoh Ibrahim
Rabiu Olabisi
Magnus Epkiken
Bode Durotoye
Dasaolu Rotimi
Tolu Ogunwobi
Kenneth Odeh
Bayo Babalola
Niyi Oriolowo
Ikechukwu Igwunze
Ajibola Olanrewaju
The Executives of Chevron Recreation Club, Gbagada, Lagos

2017Winners list being compiled.

Winners list being compiled.

2016The first edition of the awards.

The maiden edition. Winners in each of the 18 categories were determined by a public online vote combined with a judges review, with a high turnout in a short time frame.

Panel of Judges

Oluwalasinu Lanre Seye (Chairman)
Funmi Akinola
Hafsat Belo-Osagie
Adegbayi Oluwadara

Highest Rated Player AwardKigigha Bomo
Most Outstanding Chess Player 2016Oladapo AduNomineesOladapo Adu, Kigigha Bomo, Balogun Oluwafemi, Anwuli Daniel
Best Tournament Director 2016Oyeleye Peter OlawaleNomineesOyeleye Peter Olawale, Samuel “Surgical” Ojikutu, Dasaolu Rotimi, Boyo Paul Kehinde
Best Organized Chess Tournament 2016CPAN Chevron Chess Challenge (C4)NomineesMaxton Monthly Blitz, Millionaire Chess Championship, CPAN Chess League, National Friends of Chess, CPAN Chevron Chess Challenge (C4)
Best Local Chess Club 2016Lekki Chess ClubNomineesZalika Chess Club Abuja, Lekki Chess Club Lagos, Shell Chess Club Port Harcourt, Phoenix Lounge Chess Club Abuja
Best Sponsor Award 2016Adewole AdeyinkaNomineesAdewole Adeyinka, Baba Tajudeen Oyeleyin, Abejide Ayodele, Nwoye Nnmadi Tal, Femi Adebajo, Ayo Tuase
Best Junior Chess Player (Male) 2016Anwuli DanielNomineesGreg Patrick, Jonathan Oyelabi, Titoluwa Raphael, Job Oluwatobiloba, Alex Ayomide, Anwuli Daniel
Best Junior Chess Player (Female) 2016Agbazue PreciousNomineesAgbazue Precious, Olowe Iyanu, Dundarin Fadairo, Somtochukwu Okpegbuo
Most Outstanding Female Chess Player 2016Toritsemuwa OfowinoNomineesAssa Oluwaseun, Rabiu Olabisi, Toritsemuwa Ofowino, Agbazue Precious, Oyewole Tunmininu, Samson Peace
Best Chess in School Organization 2016Pedachess Educational ServicesNomineesPedachess Educational Services, BruvsChess Academy, Candy Kids Academy, DapsayChess, Midas Chess, Unicorn Chess Academy
Best Veteran Award 2016David ErahborNomineesDavid Erahbor, Dasaolu Rotimi, Bayo Babalola, Faseyitan Oluwafemi, Agusto Obafunmilayo
Recognition for Publicizing Chess on TVOgunsiku Babatunde
Chess on Social Media Award 2016Fawole John OyeyemiNomineesAkinov Akinseye, Fawole John Oyeyemi, Nicholas Onuorah, Job Atabor, Babatunde Ogunsiku, Boyo Paul Kehinde
Most Consistent Chess Player 2016Oladapo AduNomineesKigigha Bomo, Oladapo Adu, Anwuli Daniel, Balogun Oluwafemi
Most Active Arbiter 2016Rabiu OlabisiNomineesRabiu Olabisi, Ogbonnaya Obinna, Boyo Paul Kehinde, Alhaja Tayo Amisu
Best Blitz Player 2016Bunmi OlapeNomineesOladapo Adu, Bunmi Olape, Charles Campbell, Aikhoje Odion, Kigigha Bomo
Award of Recognition to the NCF President, for sacrifices towards the development of chess in NigeriaLekan Adeyemi
Award of Recognition, Highest Rated Player of All TimeAnwuli Daniel

The Founder

FIDE Master John Oyeyemi Fawole

The awards carry the name of their founder, FIDE Master John Oyeyemi Fawole, one of Nigeria's most decorated chess figures. His own journey across the board, from learning the game as a boy to lifting the national title, is the story the awards were created to honor in others.

In 2016 he founded The John Fawole Chess Awards so that Nigerian chess excellence would never again pass unrecognized. He is also the founder of BruvsChess Media.

1998
Learned chess.
1999
Played his first tournament.
2002
Won the Opens II category of the NBL Chess Championship in Lagos.
2003
Became National Junior Chess Champion after winning the Agusto and Co Under-20 Chess Championship.
2013
Won the Nigerian Chess Championship as Nigeria's 36th National Chess Champion.

Media

In the press and in the conversation

The awards have been covered by leading chess and national media, and the celebration continues online all year round.

FIDECovered by the International Chess Federation

The Guardian NigeriaNational press coverage

VanguardNational press coverage

The John Fawole Chess Awards on YouTube

Watch ceremony streams and event videos on the official YouTube channel, including the full 2024 ceremony below.

Visit the channel

Featured video

The Best of Nigerian Chess | #FawoleAwards 2024 Full Event

Relive the full 2024 ceremony, hosted by Perpetua Fasanmi-Peters: every award, every acceptance, and the celebration of Nigerian chess excellence on awards night.

Perpetua Fasanmi-Peters hosting the 2024 ceremony on stage in front of the Fawole Chess Awards backdrop

Watch the full event on YouTube

Follow the conversation, share your award night moments, and watch for voting announcements:

#FawoleAwards #NigeriaChessAwards

Contact

Talk to the organizing team

For sponsorships, partnerships, and media inquiries, contact the organizing team at info@fawoleawards.com.

The official home of the awards is fawoleawards.com.

The awards are organized by BruvsChess Media.