Oba Ewuare II Adopts Eight-Year-Old Chess Prodigy, Pledges Royal Care
By Mercy Tula, SOUTHERN DESK — The Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, has pledged royal care for eight-year-old chess player Emmanuela Iyobosa Omoragbon, declaring her a child of the palace and promising to monitor her education, welfare and progress in the game.
The monarch made the pledge on Saturday, October 17, 2026, after playing the ceremonial first move with the young chess player to officially open the Royal Rapid Chess Classic 2026 at the palace in Benin City.
The tournament is part of activities marking the 10th coronation anniversary of the Oba of Benin.
Declaring Emmanuela a child of the palace, Oba Ewuare II directed palace chiefs in the administrative arm to obtain her details from her mother, Mrs Doris Omoragbon, a national chess champion and senior player with the Edo State Sports Commission.
“This child is now a child of the palace. From now on, I want the palace to monitor the progress of the little girl: how she is doing with chess, her education and her welfare. Even the food she eats, we want to know. The palace will now take care of her needs,” the monarch said.
He urged the child’s parents to bring any challenges affecting her development to his attention, describing her ability to play chess at the age of eight as remarkable.
“For a child of eight to be playing chess at this level is wonderful,” he said.
Describing chess as a strategic game for the intelligentsia, the monarch said the game offered intellectual benefits that many people failed to appreciate.
He observed that some people wrongly regarded chess as similar to draughts commonly played in beer parlours, stressing that chess required deep thinking, foresight and strategic planning.
“Many people do not know the advantages of chess. They think it is the same as the game of draughts people play at beer parlours, but it is not. It is a game that makes you rack your brain. It prepares one to be proactive. It helps in decision-making and good planning,” he said.
Oba Ewuare II added that chess was particularly relevant to military leaders, policymakers and administrators because it sharpened concentration, strategic thinking and the ability to anticipate future developments.
The monarch also announced additional royal prizes for winners of the competition, who will receive royal souvenirs, including bronze cash, at the grand finale scheduled for November 21.
He further promised a special royal gift for Emmanuela following his declaration of her as a child of the palace.
In a demonstration of support for the chess community, the monarch presented a royal gift of N2 million to the chess players and students of Edo College who visited the palace, while Emmanuela’s mother received N250,000.
Mrs Omoragbon expressed gratitude for the monarch’s gesture, saying she was overwhelmed by the recognition and support extended to her daughter and family.
She said she would share the news with her husband and other family members, adding that they would remain grateful to the Oba.
Emmanuela, who plays chess with the Edo State Sports Commission, is a Primary Two pupil of Oman Christian Academy in Benin City.
Following the palace ceremony, the Royal Rapid Chess Classic continued at the Victor Uwaifo Creative Hub on Airport Road, Benin City, with 126 of the 130 registered players in attendance.
The participants were drawn from 10 states, including Lagos, Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Oyo, Ondo, Ogun and the host state, Edo.
Chess coordinator Augustine Apemiye thanked the Oba for incorporating chess into the activities marking his 10th coronation anniversary.
Apemiye also disclosed that approval was being sought from the monarch to establish the Oba Ewuare II Chess Club, which would provide children in the palace with opportunities to learn and develop their chess skills.
He volunteered to bring chess champions to train members of the proposed club.
In the open category, the winner will receive a star prize of N350,000, while the second- and third-place finishers will receive N250,000 and N150,000, respectively. Players finishing fourth to 10th will each receive N50,000.
The best Edo indigene and best veteran player will also receive N50,000 each.
In the under-20 category, for both male and female players, the first-place winner will receive N100,000, the second-place finisher N80,000 and the third-place finisher N50,000.
In the under-14 category, the prizes are N30,000, N20,000 and N10,000 for first, second and third places, respectively, while the under-10 category offers N25,000 for first place, N15,000 for second and N10,000 for third.
The tournament is expected to climax on November 21 with the presentation of prizes to outstanding players.
