Golden Knights depart for 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad

Ghana’s national chess team, the Golden Knights, departed from Accra on Monday (9 September) to represent the country at the 45th Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE) Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary.

The team, comprising ten players across the open and women’s divisions, is led by Candidate Master (CM) Edward Sosu in the open category and Christiana Naa Merley Ashley, Vice President of the Ghana Chess Association (GCA), in the women’s division.

Two changes mark the open division from last year’s squad. While FIDE Master (FM) John Kojo Hasford, Bernard Anhwere, and Cephas Clinton Fomevor retain their places, Ghana’s only International Master (IM), Francis Eric Anquandah, returns after missing the 2022 Olympiad in Chennai, India. 

Daniel Frempong-Smart joins the team, replacing CM Kwabena Adu-Poku, the national champion, who withdrew due to personal reasons.

In the women’s division, national champion Gertrude Banini and 14-year-old Hephzibah Tandoh will make their debuts in the global chess showpiece. 

They are joined by Woman Candidate Masters (WCM) Tobi Felix, WCM Maud Benson, and Dzidor Esi Dotse, who all retain their spots from last year.

The team was selected from the 2023 GCA National Individual Championships, held at the Ghana College of Physicians & Surgeons in Accra, where the top five finishers in each division earned their places for the Olympiad.

After a disappointing performance in 2022, where the open team finished 157th out of 188 nations despite being seeded 136th, the Golden Knights are hoping for a stronger showing. The women’s team also underperformed, placing 142nd out of 150, below their 128th seeding.

For the 2024 Olympiad, Ghana is seeded 150th out of 197 nations in the open division and 130th out of 184 nations in the women’s division.

The FIDE Chess Olympiad is the world’s premier chess tournament, attracting the top chess talents from around the globe. This year’s competition, which kicks off in Budapest from Tuesday (10 September) to Monday (23 September), promises fierce battles over the chessboard.

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