MELISSA Kambezo from Lion Guard Chess Club rose above it all to capture gold in the Under-18 Girls section at the Zimbabwe National Cadets and Youth Chess Championship 2026, delivering one of the tournament’s most inspiring performances.
The 16-year-old, who turns 17 at the end of the year, finished with an impressive five-and-a-half points out of six, winning five of her games and conceding just one draw, a result that proved pivotal in her path to the title.
Her campaign, however, began under challenging circumstances, as she was forced to offer a draw in the opening round after falling ill.
Despite battling illness from Friday through to the opening rounds, Kambezo displayed remarkable mental strength to dominate the remainder of the competition.
“It was a really tough competition, but I managed to pull through and win the rest of the five games,” she said.
Her toughest test came against Nokutenda Madzikwa in what she described as her most challenging encounter of the tournament, a match that demanded precision and composure under pressure.
What makes Kambezo’s triumph even more compelling is that she arrived at the tournament without expectation of victory.
“I did not expect to win. I came with hope, not expectations. So I was not expecting to win.”
Instead of being discouraged, she channelled that setback into motivation, quietly rebuilding her confidence and sharpening her skills.
She credited her success to the unwavering support from Coach Lloyd, her school coach.
She also acknowledged the club owner Fortune Gandawa for strengthening her preparation.
“Mr Gandawa helped me with some stuff, gave me chess books to read, and that kind of improved my performance.”
Now crowned national champion in her category, Kambezo is already looking ahead to the next stage of her chess journey.
“I hope to go to the NASH Nationals, which are being held in April. And I hope to win there also. But I’m not expecting anything.”
Lion Guard’s golden run did not end there. Shantel Ihude struck gold in the Under-14 Girls division with a composed and mature performance, while Mukono Atida dazzled in the Under-10 Open category to secure another gold medal for the club.
In the Under-8 Open section, Michael Chikovore battled his way to a silver medal, underlining Lion Guard’s depth across age groups.
Meanwhile, Omunojok Ihude earned bronze in the Under-14 Open category in dramatic fashion. He tied for first place on five points but was separated on tie-breaks, narrowly missing out on gold despite matching the top score.
The club’s haul of three gold medals, one silver and one bronze from a 12-player contingent marks a significant achievement and reinforces Lion Guard’s growing reputation as a powerhouse in junior chess development.
