Ghana’s chess contingent returned from Lomé, Togo with four medals from the 2026 West Africa Zonal Chess Championship, the country’s most commanding performance at the regional tournament.
The headline result belonged to Maud Benson, who claimed the Women’s Zonal Championship title without defeat, navigating the entire competition on an unbeaten run. Her performance measured, relentless, and commanding earned her the gold medal and the prestigious title of West African Women’s Zonal Champion for 2026.
Benson’s victory is a big moment for Ghanaian women’s chess and confirms her place among Africa’s top players.
Joining Benson was Ridham, who delivered a clutch performance across the rounds to secure the bronze medal. Ridham’s result not only underlines the depth within Ghana’s women’s programme but also ensures the country won two of the three available medals in that category.
In the Open section, Ghana’s Bernard Anhwere won silver after a strong performance, beating most of his opponents and narrowly missing out on gold in a highly competitive category.
His performance reflected maturity, precision, and the composure required at the highest level of zonal competition.
Anquandah Completes a Four-Medal Sweep
Francis Anquandah rounded out Ghana’s medal haul with a bronze in the Open section, capping a four-medal evening for Ghana’s Team. Anquandah’s result earned in a competitive open field drawn from across West Africa highlighted the continued development of depth within the national programme and the progress the Ghana Chess Federation has made in cultivating high-performing players at the senior level.
Together, the four medallists,Benson, Ridham, Anhwere, and Anquandah represent a generation of Ghanaian chess talent that is maturing at the right moment.
Their performances in Lomé showed not just skill, but also strong mental strength, as every point in the zonal competition had important impact.
Ghana’s Team and Medals Won:
Maud Benson
Women’s Section: Gold · Zonal Champion
Ridham
Women’s Section: Bronze
Bernard Anhwere:
Open Section: Silver
Francis Anquandah
Open Section: Bronze