African Individual Championship 2026: Bellahcene and Shahenda Wafa Win Continental Titles
GM Bilel Bellahcene of Algeria and WGM Shahenda Wafa of Egypt are the new African Chess Champions of 2026.
Bellahcene successfully defended his title and became only the third player in history to win the African Championship multiple times. Meanwhile, Shahenda Wafa claimed her fourth African women’s title after earlier victories in 2017, 2018, and 2022.
The 2026 African Individual Chess Championship was held at the Cresta Hotel in Jwaneng, Botswana. The tournament featured both Open and Women’s sections and attracted more than 100 strong players from across Africa. Both events were played over nine rounds in Swiss format.
Bellahcene Wins Tight Open Section Battle
The Open tournament became a thrilling fight between defending champion Bilel Bellahcene and top seed GM Bassem Amin of Egypt. After Round 5, both players shared the lead with 4.5 points out of 5. Bellahcene then defeated Amin in their important head-to-head clash and moved ahead of the field.
However, Amin quickly bounced back by winning his next three games. By the end of the tournament, both grandmasters finished tied for first place with 7.5/9. Bellahcene secured the gold medal on tiebreaks, thanks to the stronger average rating of his opponents.
FM Banele Mhango from South Africa delivered one of the biggest surprises of the event. Seeded 16th, he earned the bronze medal after winning important tiebreak battles against Dante M Beukes of Namibia and Mariano Ortega Amarelle of Cape Verde.
Shahenda Wafa Claims Fourth African Women’s Title
The Women’s section turned into a memorable family battle between the Wafa sisters from Egypt. Shahenda Wafa and defending champion Shrook Wafa both finished with 7.5/9. Shahenda led for most of the tournament but drew her final two games, allowing her older sister to catch up.
Even so, Shahenda won the championship on tiebreaks and lifted her fourth African women’s crown. WFM Sasha Mongeli of Kenya also impressed with a strong performance. She scored 6.5/9, won the bronze medal, and gained 31 rating points.
The 2026 African Individual Championship once again showcased the growing strength of chess across the African continent.
Photos: FIDE_Chess
Source: FIDE CHESS NEWS
