Ben Magana

Ben Magana
Personal information
Born1977 (age 48–49)
Chulaimbo, Kenya
Chess career
CountryKenya
TitleCandidate Master (2013)
Peak rating2200 (January 2001)

Benjamin Magana is a Kenyan chess player. He is a three-time Kenyan Chess Champion, winning in 2006, 2013, and 2017.

Chess career

Magana was introduced to chess in primary school by his brother, and won his high school's chess championship. He has represented Kenya in several Olympiads.

In November 2023, he was the captain of the KCB Chess Team in the Mombasa Open Chess Championship, which was named the best corporate team in the tournament.

In 2025, he conducted training sessions in chess for school teachers in Kenya after chess was added to the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association's calendar.

In September 2026, he played for Kenya in the 46th Chess Olympiad, where he scored 6/10 across his games.

Personal life

He studied mechanical engineering at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Science and Technology, where he also played chess and rugby.

References

  1. ↑ Pilipili, Oscar (13 December 2006). "Magana Wins National Title". The Standard. Nairobi. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
  2. ↑ "Ben Magana & Joyce Nyaruai are Kenya National Chess Champions 2017". 12 December 2017.
  3. ↑ "Beyond the Board: Benjamin Magana's Thirty-Year Reign in Kenyan Chess". October 3, 2024.
  4. ↑ "KCB impresses at the Mombasa open chess championship". November 10, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Teachers undergo chess training after sport's inclusion in KSSSA inclusion". February 14, 2026.
  6. ↑ "46th Chess Olympiad Samarkand 2026 Open". September 27, 2026.
  7. ↑ "Kenyan Chess team departs for world paralympiad in Uzbekistan". September 9, 2026.
  8. ↑ "Magana, mechanical engineer who quit rugby for chess readies for 7th Olympiad". April 20, 2020.