Ghana’s National Chess Team, Golden Knights win gold and seven international titles in Uzbekistan

Ghana’s national chess team, the Golden Knights, are back home after taking part in the 46th World Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, with a gold medal and seven new international titles, the best result the country has ever recorded at the event.

The Ghana women’s team finished top of rating Category D to take gold, playing in board order Maud Benson, Gertrude Banini, Ridham, Dzidzor Dotse and Sumya Ibrahim Dotse.

Seven Ghanaian players earned FIDE titles over the course of the tournament. Bernard Anhwere earned the FIDE Master title. Price Akpa and Dr Daniel Mensah Loglo, both of the open section, earned the Candidate Master title.

Maud Benson earned the Woman FIDE Master title, and Sumya Ibrahim Dotse, Ridham and Dzidzor Esi Dotse each earned the Woman Candidate Master title.

The delegation was led by Madam Christiana Ashley, President of the Ghana Chess Association, who served as Head of Delegation.

Samarkand was her first Olympiad since taking office earlier this year, and the campaign reflected the preparation and organization she put in place on assuming the presidency: an earlier and clearer selection process, structured training ahead of departure, and a delegation that arrived in Uzbekistan ready to play.

"This result belongs to the players. They did the work at the board. What we set out to do when I took office was make sure that when Ghanaian players sit down against the rest of the world, nothing about their preparation is left to chance. Seven titles and a gold medal tell me we are on the right road, and I want us to go further.” — Madam Christiana Ashley, President, Ghana Chess Association

The Association also credits the coaching and technical team, the team captains, and the officials who supported the squad in Samarkand and in the months of preparation before it.

The Golden Knights leave Samarkand with Ghana’s strongest Olympiad record to date and a larger pool of titled players than the country has ever had.

The GCA thanks Ghanaians at home and abroad who followed the team round by round, and says the work now turns to youth development and to defending this standard at the next Olympiad.