About Us

The Orchid-Lekki Chess Club (OLCC)
started formally in December 2019 following a merger between Lekki Chess Club and Orchid Chess Club in what has been described as the biggest collaboration in Nigeria’s chess history.
Lekki Chess Club started in 2013 as a gathering of friends to play chess and quickly grew into a top chess spot in Lagos.
The club organized and participated in many chess events and also hosted local and international chess stars including the legendary English Grandmaster, Nigel Short (now FIDE Vice President) in June 2018.
In 2016, the Lekki Chess Club Team became the national chess champions and winner of the maiden edition of the Chess Players Association of Nigeria (CPAN) national chess league.
In the same year and in the maiden edition of the renowned John Fawole Chess Awards, the club won the Best Chess Club in Nigeria Award.

The other half of the merger, Orchid Chess Club, also started in a similar manner following the regular coming together of chess playing friends at Orchid Hotels, Lekki since 2012. The players were all hosted by Engr. Jonathan Odega, a chess enthusiast, successful entrepreneur and Chairman/CEO of Orchid Hotels Limited. After a few years of playing together informally, the friends formed a chess club meant to serve as a hub for like-minded chess players and an arm of Orchid Hotels Limited. Orchid Chess Club went on to organize various chess tournaments before the collaboration. In mid-2019, the leaders of the two clubs began to meet and discuss a potential merger that became a reality some months later.

OUR MISSION

Our mission is to establish and maintain a permanent and dignified home for the practice and enjoyment of the game of chess; to teach the game of chess; to increase the awareness of the educational value of chess; to promote and support chess related initiatives through community outreach programs; and generally to foster and promote the interests of chess and chess.

OUR VISION

To be Africa’s leading chess club and one of the world’s best in the development, promotion, organization and mastery of chess