2026 African Individual Chess Championship
GM Bilel Bellahcene (Algeria) and WGM Shahenda Wafa (Egypt) are the newly crowned African Chess Champions. GM Bellahcene defended his title, becoming the third multiple winner of the event, while WGM Wafa claimed her fourth continental crown, adding to her victories in 2017, 2018 and 2022.
Open Section
GM Bilel Bellahcene was undefeated and scored 7.5 points in the nine-round contest. His arch-rival, GM Bassem Amin (aka Simba wa Msir), took silver despite also scoring 7.5 points, but with a lower tie-break. Their decisive round-six clash allowed GM Bellahcene to secure the title.
FM Banele Mhango of South Africa clinched bronze with 6.5 points, edging out IM Dante Beukes of Namibia and IM Mariano Ortega of Cape Verde, who also scored 6.5 points but had lower tie-breaks.
Kenya was well represented thanks to generous sponsorship from KCB Bank. Leading the Kenyan effort were FM Jadon Simiyu, Hawi Kaloki, Hugh Misiko and Joseph Methu. WFM Elizabeth Cassidy Maina, WFM Sasha Mongeli and WFM Joyce Nyaruai featured in the Ladies Section.
The top-placed Kenyan was FM Jadon Simiyu, who scored 4.5 points in this competitive event and ranked 29th overall.
A total of 59 players from nineteen federations featured in the Open Section .
North Africa has dominated this event, winning 20 of 22 editions. Egypt has won it 16 times, Algeria twice, Morocco twice, South Africa once and Zimbabwe once. GM Amin Bassem has won a record seven times, while his compatriot GM Adly Ahmed has won four times.
Ladies Section
The Wafa sisters continued their domination of the event, with WGM Shaheda Wafa clinching the title on 7.5 points and edging out her sister WGM Shroof Wafa, who also scored 7.5 but had a lower tie-break.
WGM Shaheda Wafa has now won the event four times, while her elder sister, WGM Shrook Wafa, has won it a record five times.
WFM Sasha Mongeli put Kenya on the continental stage, winning bronze after defeating WCM Dema Alaa of Egypt in the final ninth round. It was the first medal for Kenya in the event’s history, marking a historic moment.
WFM Sasha Mongeli was awarded a WIM title, provided that she reaches a rating of at least 2200 making her the first Kenyan to do so.
The other Kenyans WFM Joyce Ndirangu and WFM Elizabeth Cassidy Maina both scored 4.5 points.
A total of 44 players from nineteen federations took part took part.
Game Corner
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Event details
Venue: Cresta Lodge, Jwaneng, Botswana
Dates: 18th to 27th June 2026
Sections: Open and Ladies Section
Time Control: 90 Min/40 Moves+30 Min/end + 30 sec increment per move starting from move 1.
Number of Rounds: Nine.
Links
2026 African Individual Chess Championship on chess-results.com.
Live games from 2026 African Individual Chess Championship.
2025 African Individual Chess Championships.
2025 African Individual Chess Championship on www.chess-results.com
Open Section live games from the 2025 African Individual Chess Championship.
Ladies Section live games from the 2025 African Individual Chess Championship.
2024 African Individuals Chess – GM Bassem & WIM February win.
The 2024 African Individual Chess Championships on chess-results.com.
2024 African Individual Chess Championships Games on lichess.org.
Mcligeyo & WCM Nyaruai off for the 2023 African Individual Chess.
2023 African Individuals Chess Championship on chess-results.com.
GM Bassem Amin wins 2022 African Individuals Championship.
WGM Shahenda Wafa wins 2022 African Individuals Ladies Championship.
PGN’s from 2022 African Individual Chess Championship – Ladies.
The 2022 African Individual Chess Championship 2022 – Day 5 Report.
The 2022 African Individual Chess Championship kicks off in Lagos.
2022 African Individual Chess Championships Invitation.
GM Ahmed Adly is the 2021 African Individual Chess Champion.
WIM Jesse February is crowned 2021 African Individual Chess Champion.
2021 African Individual Chess Championship – Report 1
Adly Ahmed wins 2019 African Individual Chess Championship.
GM Bassem Amin wins 2018 African Individual Chess Championship.
GM Bassem Amin wins 2017 African Individual Chess Championship.
2016 African Individual Chess Championship.
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Article by Kenya Chess Masala.