CHESS: I Have A Story -By Jonathan Tiko Ambore

This story is not an ordinary one. It is a juxtaposition of hard-work, consistency and patience; and how each of this fuels an undying passion. More than everything, this story is about resilience.

It all started in July last year during the selection tournament for the National Youth Games, when my student Sony Elisha (The Arbiter) in the photo finished as the runner up of the tournament, thereby gaining qualification to represent Gombe.

On our way back home from the tournament, about 10 other kids approached me curiously inquiring how I can inculcate in them the knowledge and intricacies around chess, so they can be able to improve and launch successful feats in chess as well as in upcoming tournaments, and the opportunities Chess, on the overall, encompasses.

As one with unrestrained avidity of admiration for the game, I welcomed their request without any hesitation and embraced them into my world of Chess. We scheduled the time and venue where we would all be converging for the series of trainings.

The preliminary encounters/classes were encouraging, a good number of them showed up, but after a while, only Moses Ishaya (Tata) and Yusuf Bala continued coming. I tried to find out what was hindering the other kids from coming; and I found out that it was a lack of commitment, passion and hard work from their side.

I did all I could to re-ignite the passion in these kids but all my efforts seemed in vain.
Unfortunately for Yusuf, he joined a boarding school which rendered him unable to continue with the classes.

Moses continued the classes anyway. He kept me on my toes even when I felt lazy. Some times even when busy on other things, he would wait for me no matter how long it may take. We spent a lot of excruciating hours together but he kept being consistent.

I am not only inspired by his consistency and unadulterated commitment, but his dedication to the pursuits which invariably culminate to his present glad tidings. Two days ago at the annual qualifying event, Moses finished the tournament as a joint runner up with 5/6 points and qualified for the upcoming National Youth Sports Festival. This is the reward for his hard work, persistence and passion.

Courtesy of his hard-work, he has gotten a gift of a new chess set courtesy of “The gift of Chess Foundation”. Moses is a very talented young boy who has a lot in store and I am very sure this is just the beginning of successes upon successes flooding his way. We look forward to a podium performance at Illorin for another victory by God’s grace and Mercy.

I feel proud as a mentor and I am ever ready to offer myself to people like Moses, young people whose heart is littered with the yearning and quest for growth. For my unalloyed love for Chess and its overt benefits to the larger society, this is just the beginning of using Chess for the ascendancy of my society.

Jonathan Tiko Ambore is a Nigerian Junior Chess player and a student of Law in Gombe State University.