Africa’s chess landscape presents another month of notable performances, changing rankings and emerging talent. The November 2026 FIDE Standard Rating List brings fresh changes to African chess ratings, with relative stability among the continent’s leading players alongside significant individual improvements across the rankings.
Egyptian Grandmaster Bassem Amin remains Africa’s highest-rated player, while Moroccan International Master Ilyass Msellek breaks into the continental Open Top 10 following an 11-point gain.
In the women’s category, Algeria’s WIM Lina Nassr records one of the month’s most impressive improvements, gaining 51 points to move into second place among Africa’s highest-rated female players.
The junior rankings also offer plenty to celebrate, with Egyptian IM Abdalrahman Sameh Mohamed, born in 2014, adding 18 points to reach 2345. Across the continent, several young players continue to make significant strides, reinforcing the growing depth of African chess talent.
Here is a closer look at the numbers shaping African chess in November.
AFRICA’S TOP OPEN PLAYERS
Egypt continues to dominate the top of the African Open rankings, with three players among the continent’s top five and four in the Top 10.
Bassem Amin retains the number one position, while Ahmed Adly remains second. Algeria’s Bilel Bellahcene and Morocco’s Hicham Hamdouchi maintain their positions in the top four.
The major change comes from Morocco’s IM Ilyass Msellek, whose 11-point improvement takes him into the continental Top 10.
IM Ibrahim Hasan Labib of Egypt moves outside the Top 10, now occupying 11th position with 2412.
AFRICA’S TOP WOMEN PLAYERS
Egyptian players continue to lead the African women’s rankings, with WGM Shrook Wafa maintaining the continental number one position after a 14-point gain.
However, the standout performance belongs to Algeria’s WIM Lina Nassr. Her impressive 51-point increase takes her to 2127, moving her into second place.
Nigeria’s WFM Deborah Ebimobo-ere Quickpen remains among Africa’s leading female players despite a 32-point decline, while Egypt’s WIM Joy Romany enters the Top 10 following a 26-point improvement.
AFRICA’S TOP JUNIOR U20 OPEN PLAYERS
The junior Open rankings feature a strong mix of established young talents and players making their mark on the continental stage.
South Africa’s IM Jan Karsten leads the category, while Equatorial Guinea’s FM Xavier Mompel Ferruz and Egypt’s IM Hamed Wafa occupy the next positions.
One of the most notable developments is the rise of IM Abdalrahman Sameh Mohamed. Born in 2014, the Egyptian junior gains 18 points to reach 2345, placing him fourth in the African junior U-20 rankings at age twelve.
AFRICA’S TOP JUNIOR GIRLS
Nigeria’s WFM Deborah Ebimobo-ere Quickpen leads the African junior girls’ rankings, despite a 32-point drop in November.
Uganda’s WIM Sana Omprakash Kayyar remains second, while Angola’s WFM Jemima Paulo holds third position.
Egypt’s WIM Joy Romany makes a significant move into the top four following a 26-point gain. Côte d’Ivoire’s WFM Mazan Emmanuela Esther Ayemou also records an encouraging 27-point improvement.
The category welcomes two new names into the Top 10: Algeria’s WFM Chahrazad Djerroud and Botswana’s WFM Natalie Katlo Banda.
AFRICA’S TOP CHESS FEDERATIONS
Egypt remains Africa’s highest-ranked chess federation globally, followed by Morocco and Algeria.
The November rankings show relative stability among the continent’s leading federations, with Madagascar recording the most notable improvement in the Top 10, moving from 107th to 103rd globally.
Nigeria retains its 92nd position, while South Africa moves from 72nd to 75th.
The rankings below highlight Africa’s ten highest-placed federations and their average rating among their top ten players.
South Africa’s average fell 17 points mainly because IM Henry Steel (2408) is now listed by FIDE as inactive and no longer counts towards the federation’s top-ten average.
THE BIGGEST RATING GAINERS
November produced impressive individual rating gains across Africa, with players from Zambia, Uganda, Nigeria, Algeria and Morocco featuring prominently.
Zambia’s Priyanshu Dinodia tops the list, gaining an extraordinary 220 points to cross the 2000-rating mark.
Uganda’s Kur Akut Deng follows with a 110-point increase, while Nigeria’s Kingsley Osayande records an 85-point gain.
WIM Lina Nassr’s 51-point improvement also earns her a place among the month’s leading gainers.
Selected active African players rated 2000 and above on the November list.
THE BIGGEST RATING LOSSES
While several players enjoyed significant gains, November also brought difficult rating adjustments for some African competitors.
Kenya’s FM Jadon Simiyu recorded the largest decline among the selected players, losing 70 points. South Sudan’s CM Madol Garang Panthou Joh followed with a 58-point drop.
Nigeria features prominently in this category, with Rotimi Babayanju, FM Denyefa Callistus Eyetonghan, Damian Joshua and WFM Deborah Ebimobo-ere Quickpen all recording rating declines.
EMERGING AFRICAN TALENTS
The future of African chess continues to look promising, with young players making remarkable progress across the continent.
This selection highlights African junior players born in 2006 or later who gained at least 40 rating points in November.
Zambia’s Priyanshu Dinodia leads the group with a remarkable 220-point increase. Kenya’s Jamie Obora Kanango follows with 163 points, while Morocco’s Issam Youssfi and South Africa’s Matthew Shapiro also record impressive improvements.
Nigeria’s Felix Ubarugu and Kingsley Osayande feature among the continent’s promising young improvers.
NEW NAMES ON THE FIDE STANDARD RATING LIST
The November list also welcomes a new group of African players earning their first FIDE Standard ratings.
South Africa leads the representation with four players among the ten highest-rated new entrants in this selection, followed by Nigeria with two.
Mcanthony Igwe of South Africa and Nigeria’s Otonyemie Jack lead the group, both entering above the 1900 mark.
A CONTINENT IN MOTION
The November 2026 FIDE Standard Rating List reflects both the stability of Africa’s established chess leaders and the growing ambitions of its next generation.
Egypt continues to set the pace at the top, while Morocco, Algeria, South Africa, Zambia and other federations remain important contributors to the continent’s competitive strength.
The progress of young players is particularly encouraging. From Priyanshu Dinodia’s remarkable rating jump to the steady rise of junior talents across Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Egypt and beyond, the numbers point to a continent with a growing pool of competitive players.
The challenge ahead is to translate individual progress into stronger national structures, more competitive tournaments, improved development pathways and greater opportunities for African players to compete internationally.
African chess is not standing still. Its players are growing, its rankings are changing, and its next generation is making its presence felt.
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Methodology: All figures come from FIDE’s November 2026 Standard Rating List, compared with October 2026. In line with FIDE’s own rankings, players listed as inactive are not included. Juniors are players born in 2006 or later. Players on equal ratings share a rank.
Sources: Official FIDE Standard Rating Lists and FIDE Top Federations Rankings.
