Format
MJ
Mwale, Joseph
FM🇲🇼FIDE 16400135· Male· Malawi· Born in 1993
Follow Joseph MwaleTrack his monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more.
Joseph Mwale, a 33-year-old FIDE Master, is rated 2266 — just 24 short of his peak of 2290 (Jan 2019, age 26) and sitting in the top 2% of players worldwide. He is rising rapidly, having gained +175 Elo over the past 12 months. 104 rated games in the past year (≈51/year long-term). Recent standard appearances include EC Open 2026 (Open), Silverest Open Chess Championship - Elite Section, and 2025 NATIONAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP. Also played 1 rapid (including RFP May Rapid) and 1 blitz events (including 2026 South African Junior Closed (Blitz)) recently. He took a 14-month break between Oct 2012 and Jan 2014. He reached #1 nationally in Jan 2015 and has been #1 for 109 months and counting (6 consecutive years on his current run).
Awarded FM in 2019 (age 26) and CM in 2018 (age 25). At junior level, he reached #1 nationally in U20.
Current rating
2266
Standard
Rpd2151·Blz2186
All-time high
2290
−24 pts below
Jan 2019 · age 26
Jan 2019 · age 26
Activity
84
games / yr avg. · ≈7/mo
104 past 12 mo · ≈9/mo
classical only
Very active
classical only
Very active
Signature stat
Top 2%
#5,216 · players worldwide · of 216,808
#1 nationally since May 2025
#1 nationally since May 2025
Career timeline
21 entries2026
109 months in National #1 (ongoing)
longest streak 80 months · since Jan 2015
May 2026
Best 12-month gain (+243 Elo)
2045 → 2288
Feb 2026
2025
Re-crossed 2200
at age 32
Sep 2025
Re-crossed 2100
at age 32
Jun 2025
2023
500 career games
at age 30
Dec 2023
2021
Re-crossed 2200
at age 28
Jun 2021
Standard rating history
Activity & highlights
Top opponent
Evolution
+163
2103 → 2266
Tournaments
12
114 games
Score
73.5/ 11464.5%
78W26D10L
Top 3 wins
2.[W]vsGillan BwalyaIM2,299·2025 Cracking Series International Chess Challenge-Open Section·R6·+13.0
Top 3 losses
2.[L]vsMusonda CholaFM2,123·The Travellers and tours 2025 Chess championship - Open Section·R4·-12.9
Last 12 months — tournaments
12 events| Event | Date | Score | Rank | Perf | Δ Elo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Swiss | Apr 2026 | 4/6 | #4 | 1989 | -22.4 |
Swiss | Jan 2026 | 5/9 | #8 | 2320 | +10.4 |
Open Swiss | Dec 2025 | 7/9 | #1 | 2179 | -12.6 |
Open Swiss | Dec 2025 | 6/6 | #3 | 2869 | +18.2 |
Swiss | Nov 2025 | 6/8 | #2 | 2370 | +29.4 |
Open Swiss | Oct 2025 | 6.5/7 | #2 | 2362 | +14.2 |
Open Swiss | Sep 2025 | 5.5/8 | #15 | 2217 | +2.0 |
Open Swiss | Sep 2025 | 8.5/8 | #1 | 2653 | +9.0 |
Open Swiss | Aug 2025 | 5/5 | #17 | 2770 | +3.2 |
Open Swiss | Aug 2025 | 6.5/9 | #12 | 2274 | +20.8 |
Most-Played Opponents
vsChiletso ChipangaCM
🇲🇼MAW·2085
+14 −4 =3
21 games·last met Dec 2025
View head-to-head →
vsGillan BwalyaIM
🇿🇲ZAM·2310
+5 −9 =3
17 games·last met Apr 2026
View head-to-head →
vsAlfred Charles ChimthereCM
🇲🇼MAW·1998
+11 −1 =5
17 games·last met Mar 2024
View head-to-head →
vsBanele MhangoFM
🇿🇦RSA·2256
+3 −7 =5
15 games·last met Apr 2026
View head-to-head →
vsGeorge MwaleCM
🇲🇼MAW·2062
+5 −4 =6
15 games·last met Dec 2025
View head-to-head →
Rankings
/
Malawi
#1
out of 162 players
Africa
#65
in continent
World
#5,216
out of 400,000+
National ranking
Europe & World
Europe
World
Malawi
| 1 | 2,266 | |
| 2 | 🇲🇼Follow Chiletso ChipangaTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,085 |
| 3 | 🇲🇼Follow Gerrard MphunguTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,064 |
| 4 | 🇲🇼Follow George MwaleTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,062 |
| 5 | 🇲🇼Follow Kamwendo PreciousTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,043 |
| 6 | 🇲🇼Follow Joseph Xavier NyambaloTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,014 |
| 7 | 🇲🇼Follow Chiwambo StansfordTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,009 |
| 8 | 🇲🇼Follow Alfred Charles ChimthereTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 1,998 |
| 9 | 🇲🇼Follow Kalambo PraiseTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 1,963 |
| 10 | 🇲🇼Follow Aaron PhiriTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 1,962 |
Africa
| 1 | 🇪🇬Follow Bassem AminTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,627 |
| 2 | 🇪🇬Follow Ahmed AdlyTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,580 |
| 3 | 🇲🇦Follow Hicham HamdouchiTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,502 |
| 4 | 🇩🇿Follow Bilel BellahceneTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,493 |
| 5 | 🇪🇬Follow Adham FawzyTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,467 |
| 6 | 🇩🇿Follow Adlane ArabTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,453 |
| 7 | 🇪🇬Follow Samy ShokerTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,442 |
| 8 | 🇲🇬Follow Fy Antenaina RakotomaharoTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,441 |
| 9 | 🇹🇳Follow Kamel NjiliTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,414 |
| 10 | 🇪🇬Follow Ibrahim Hasan LabibTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,412 |
| ... | ||
| 65 | 2,266 | |
World
| 1 | 🇳🇴Follow Magnus CarlsenTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,840 |
| 2 | 🇺🇸Follow Hikaru NakamuraTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,792 |
| 3 | 🇺🇸Follow Fabiano CaruanaTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,788 |
| 4 | 🇺🇿Follow Nodirbek AbdusattorovTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,780 |
| 5 | 🇺🇿Follow Javokhir SindarovTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,776 |
| 6 | 🇳🇱Follow Anish GiriTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,767 |
| 7 | 🇩🇪Follow Vincent KeymerTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,759 |
| 7 | 🇫🇷Follow Alireza FirouzjaTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,759 |
| 9 | 🇺🇸Follow Wesley SoTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,754 |
| 10 | 🇨🇳Follow Yi WeiTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,753 |
| ... | ||
| 5216 | 2,266 | |