The third edition of the Nigeria National Chess Championship has kicked off in Lagos state.

This year’s edition has been extended to 12 top chess players from the previous 10 in the past two editions for the battle for the national title in a round-robin format.

Eight players with direct qualification, including the defending champion, the top five rated players, the best junior player and the wildcard player selected by the president of the Nigeria Chess Federation.

The other four are selected from the winners of a qualification tournament.

The championship will be concluded on October 9, 2023.