South Africa’s FM Michael Simpson is making headlines in Cairo. The 18-year-old has emerged as the only unbeaten player in the open section after three rounds of the 2025 African Individual Chess Championship, following a stunning run that has shaken up the leaderboard.
Seeded 26th, Simpson delivered a standout performance in Round 3, ending the unbeaten streak of Egyptian IM Hamed Wafa in a thrilling encounter. This came hot on the heels of his Round 2 triumph over 11th-seeded FM Shereif Ashraf, marking back-to-back victories against higher-rated Egyptian opponents.
While Simpson continued to rise, for the grandmasters, however, Round 3 proved to be a day of frustration. GM Adham Fawzy and GM Bilel Bellahcene were both held to draws by FM Mohamed Ezat and FM David George, while top seed GM Bassem Amin bounced back with a win over Mohamed Sayed after his earlier draw in Round 2. But the big shock came as GM Ahmed Adly suffered his first loss of the tournament, falling to Algeria’s Eddine Boulbena in a tense battle.
FM Marko Fadi also continued his dream run. Still riding high after holding Amin to a draw, Fadi claimed another big scalp by defeating 5th seed Imed Abdelnabbi in impressive fashion.
The Cameroonian clash between Hussel Donkeng and FM Patrick Ebosses ended peacefully with a draw.
With double rounds coming up in Rounds 4 and 5, the championship is heading into a pivotal day. Simpson’s meteoric rise has thrown the script out the window, and with top seeds wobbling, the race for the continental crown is wide open.
