No fewer than 150 schools in Lagos are gearing up to participate in the 2026 ChessMasters scheduled to be held on Saturday, 2 May 2026.

The tourney targeted at children in primary schools aged between 6 and 11 years old is sponsored by First Bank in partnership with the KEY Foundation.

Olayinka Ijabiyi, Acting Group Head, Marketing & Corporate Communications at First Bank, said the sponsorship of ChessMasters 2026 reflected the firm's commitment to building talents and communities, driving inclusion, and deepening engagement.

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He described the initiative as a platform that celebrates talent and promotes social impact through sports.

"With over a century of supporting legacy sports in Nigeria, we are proud of our enduring partnerships - 105 years with the Georgian Cup, 65 years with the Lagos Amateur Golf Championship and 35 years with the Dala Hard Court Tennis Championship," he said.

Damilola Okonkwo, Founder of Key Academy, expressed appreciation for First Bank's support, noting that the partnership will help scale the impact of ChessMasters and inspire more schools to participate.

"We are happy to welcome First Bank on board. This collaboration will boost chess development in Nigeria and promote critical thinking among young minds.

"With support from partners like First Bank, we are opening the doors of participation to more children and more schools in this year's edition," he said.

Prince Adeyinka Adewole, Vice President of the Nigeria Chess Federation, commended the initiative, emphasising its role in nurturing future chess talents.