Shrook Wafa finishes unbeaten to top the women’s field, Bellahcene triumphs on tiebreak to claim Algeria’s first open title.
The ancient city of Cairo played host to Africa’s finest chess minds over the past week, and on Tuesday, May 20, two names stood tallest Egypt’s WGM Shrook Wafa and Algeria’s GM Bilel Bellahcene.
Both players etched their names into the continent’s chess history books after being crowned champions at the 2025 African Individual Chess Championship (AICC).
For Wafa, it was a case of déjà vu and dominance.
Coming in as the top seed in the women’s section, the Egyptian star was under pressure to perform on home soil. She didn’t disappoint. With seven wins and two draws including tense matches against her sister, WGM Shahenda Wafa, and Morocco’s Sarah El Barbry Shrook finished unbeaten on 8/9.
The title marked her fifth AICC crown, further cementing her status as one of Africa’s all-time greats.Algeria’s WIM Lina Nassr took silver with an impressive 7/9, while rising Egyptian teen Jana Mohamed, just 16 years old, stunned the field by clinching bronze. Shahenda Wafa, herself a former champion, narrowly missed the podium and had to settle for fourth.
But while the women’s section saw a familiar face return to the top, the open section delivered a historic twist.
Top five in the women’s section
1. WGM Shrook Wafa
2. WIM Lina Nassr
3. Jana Mohamed
4.WGM Shanenda Wafa
5.Dema Alaa
GM Bilel Bellahcene broke new ground for Algeria, becoming the first player from his country to win the prestigious title and, in the process, ended Egypt’s nine-year grip on the championship.
It wasn’t a straightforward path. Seeded fourth, Bellahcene managed seven points after nine rounds with one win, one loss (to Egypt’s GM Bassem Amin), and two draws, including a gritty one against rising star IM Hamed Wafa. The final standings saw a three-way tie between Bellahcene, Amin, and former champion GM Ahmed Adly but the Algerian edged them both on tiebreaks.
Amin and Adly settled for silver and bronze, respectively, while Hamed Wafa making his AICC debut after graduating from the junior ranks impressed with a fourth-place finish on 6½ points.
Top five open section
1. GM Bilel Bellahcene
2.GM Bassem Amin
3. GM Adly Ahmed
4. IM Hamad Wafa
5. FM Marko Fadi
At the closing ceremony, African Chess Confederation (ACC) President Tshepiso Lopang thanked the Egyptian government and the Ministry of Youth and Sports, led by Dr. Ashraf Sobhi, for their continued support of African chess. She also heaped praise on the Egyptian Chess Federation for organizing what she called “a world-class championship.”
