26th Arena Chess Classic Championship 2026

Open SwissStandard

76 players participated in this 7-round tournament, held from 17 Jan 2026 to 23 Jan 2026 in Alex, Egypt. 3 federations represented. Top 10 Elo average was 1969, and top seed was Raafat Sobhy (🇪🇬 EGY, 2135).

Moustafa Raslan (🇪🇬 EGY, 2094) won with 6.5/7, ahead of Raafat Sobhy (6.0) and Mohamed Khamis Ahmed (6.0). Raslan won solo starting round 5.

The biggest upset came in round 3: Lojaina Ahmed Salah (1469) beat Mohamed Abdel Aziz (1802), a +333-point gap.

Location

🇪🇬Alex, Egypt

Dates

17 Jan 2026 → 23 Jan 2026

Time control

Standard: 60 minutes with 30 seconds increment from move 1

System

Swiss · 7 rounds

Top seed

🇪🇬Raafat Sobhy2135

Avg top 10

1,969

Participants

Federations · 3 represented

🇪🇬Egypt×54

🇵🇸Palestine×1

🇸🇩Sudan×1

Top 3

🥇
Moustafa Raslan
🇪🇬EGY·2094
6.5pts·2337perf+27.4
🥈
Raafat Sobhy
🇪🇬EGY·2135
6.0pts·2157perf+5.8
🥉
Mohamed Khamis Ahmed
🇪🇬EGY·1809
6.0pts·1986perf+54.0

How it unfolded

Top 6 · 7 rounds

Moustafa Raslan led from R5; +0.5-point edge over the runner-up. Title race converged from 2 co-leaders at R4 to 1 by R5.

Co-leaders

Raslan6.5Sobhy6Khamis Ahmed6Aymen Elkhudari5.5Abbas Mohamed5.5Sherif Fouad5.5

R5–R7 · LEAD HELD

Moustafa Raslan held the sole lead from R5 through R7 without losing it.

R6 · HEAD-TO-HEAD · WINNER VS 2ND

Moustafa Raslan drew with Raafat Sobhy (White).

WIN STREAKS · 3 top finishers

Moustafa Raslan 5 wins (R1–R5)Raafat Sobhy 3 wins (R1–R3)Mohamed Khamis Ahmed 4 wins (R4–R7)

Key matchups · top 4

Head-to-head between the four finishers

Player	1	2	3	4
1Moustafa Raslan	*	½	—	—
2Raafat Sobhy	½	*	1	—
3Mohamed Khamis Ahmed	—	0	*	—
4Mohamed Aymen Elkhudari	—	—	—	*

Grille américaine

#	Player	Elo	Fed	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	Pts	Bu C1	Bu	SB	Perf	Δ
1	Raslan, Moustafa	2094	EGY	+29N	+23B	+8N	+14B	+19N	=2B	+7B	6.5	28.5	32.5	29.50	2337	+27.4
2	Sobhy, Raafat	2135	EGY	+67B	+11N	+3B	=15N	+13B	=1N	+9B	6.0	31.5	32.5	27.00	2157	+5.8
3	Khamis Ahmed, Mohamed	1809	EGY	+42N	+20B	−2N	+4B	+21N	+44B	+14N	6.0	27.0	30.0	24.00	1986	+54.0
4	Abbas Mohamed, Abd Elrahman	1767	EGY	+76N	+34B	=13B	−3N	+33B	+24N	+15B	5.5	26.0	26.0	17.75	1882	+17.0
5	Aymen Elkhudari, Mohamed	1739	EGY	+31B	+41N	−19B	=24N	+49B	+43N	+13B	5.5	23.0	25.5	19.50	1930	+50.4
6	Sherif Fouad, Kareem	1620	EGY	+71B	−13N	+31B	+25N	=43B	+37N	+18B	5.5	23.0	24.0	18.00	1987	+71.2
7	Sayed, Hany	2060	EGY	+47B	+55N	+12B	F	+15N	+19B	−1N	5.0	25.0	25.0	18.50	2115	+8.6
8	Elsorady, Mahmoud	1859	EGY	+64B	+33N	−1B	+22N	+59B	−13N	+54B	5.0	23.0	25.0	14.00	1816	-3.6
9	Ahmed Moataz, Mohamed	1737	EGY	+68N	+70B	−14N	+20B	+34N	+18B	−2N	5.0	23.0	24.0	13.50	1852	+21.2
10	Elnahas, Mohamed	1780	EGY	+17B	−25N	+64B	−21N	+51N	+45B	+31N	5.0	22.0	24.0	16.00	1513	-13.0
11	Tamer, Eyad	1623	EGY	+73N	−2B	+36N	+54B	−18N	+42N	+44B	5.0	22.0	22.5	12.50	1740	+19.2
12	Kalhy Anwar, Ibrahim	1786	EGY	+74N	+56B	−7N	+35B	−44N	+46B	+20N	5.0	20.5	21.0	13.00	1638	-14.0
13	Bakeer Ehab, Ahmad	2033	EGY	+61N	+6B	=4N	+26B	−2N	+8B	−5N	4.5	31.5	33.5	19.25	1859	-43.2
14	Elfaham, Mahmoud	1930	EGY	+53B	+22N	+9B	−1N	=16B	+23N	−3B	4.5	30.0	32.5	17.75	1806	-15.2
15	Saad, Ahmed Mohamed	1898	EGY	+28N	+35B	+27N	=2B	−7B	+16N	−4N	4.5	29.0	32.5	19.00	1876	-1.4
16	Sakoury, Mohamed	1666	EGY	+69N	+60B	−18N	+67B	=14N	−15B	+38N	4.5	19.5	20.5	9.75	1630	-4.4
17	Eyad Yousry, Aser	0	EGY	−10N	+?B	−23N	+?B	=35N	+36B	+?N	4.5	16.0	16.0	5.25	1613	0.0
18	Azmey Anies, Mahmoud	1882	EGY	+46B	+21N	+16B	−19N	+11B	−9N	−6N	4.0	28.0	31.0	16.50	1684	-28.6
19	Shehab Elsayed , Mohamed	1940	EGY	+52N	+49B	+5N	+18B	−1B	−7N	F	4.0	27.5	30.0	14.50	1940	+2.4
20	Muhammed Gouda, Khaled	1463	EGY	+63B	−3N	+41B	−9N	+71B	+25N	−12B	4.0	25.5	26.5	10.50	977	-16.4
21	Islam Elsayed, Yehia	1516	EGY	+40N	−18B	+45N	+10B	−3B	+32N	F	4.0	25.5	25.5	15.50	1698	+22.8
22	Ahmed Wagih, Khaled	1547	EGY	+66N	−14B	+28N	−8B	+40N	+30B	F	4.0	25.0	26.5	13.00	1094	-9.2
23	George Amin, Julian	1640	EGY	+50B	−1N	+17B	F	+39N	−14B	+34N	4.0	25.0	25.0	14.00	1185	-9.6
24	Elsayed Mohamed, Omar	1508	EGY	−34N	+76B	+42N	=5B	+26N	−4B	=43B	4.0	24.5	24.5	11.25	1761	+48.8
25	Osama Abdel Monem, Mohamed	0	EGY	+?N	+10B	−26N	−6B	+28N	−20B	+56N	4.0	24.5	24.5	11.00	1531	0.0
26	Gebril, Aly	1676	EGY	F	+32N	+25B	−13N	−24B	+39B	+33N	4.0	23.5	23.5	15.00	1528	-25.6
27	Amgad alzant	1725	PLE	+57B	+48N	−15B	−33N	+42B	F	+46N	4.0	19.0	20.0	11.00	858	-45.2
28	Ahmed Shehata, Omar	0	EGY	−15B	+66N	−22B	+48N	−25B	+67N	+63B	4.0	19.0	20.0	7.50	923	0.0
29	FIDE 555012230	0	—	−1B	−50N	−30B	+69N	+57B	+48N	+68B	4.0	19.0	20.0	7.00	1294	0.0
30	Mohamed Mahmoud, Abdelrahman	0	EGY	−49B	F	+29N	+52B	+56N	−22N	+50B	4.0	18.0	20.0	11.00	755	0.0
31	George Sami, Antonius	0	EGY	−5N	+?B	−6N	+?B	+?N	+59N	−10B	4.0	18.0	18.0	2.00	1617	0.0
32	Mohamed Aly, Aly	0	EGY	=36N	−26B	+58N	=?B	+67N	−21B	+?N	4.0	14.5	14.5	4.75	1488	0.0
33	Boutros Kamel, Yolyos	1418	EGY	+39N	−8B	+40N	+27B	−4N	=34B	−26B	3.5	25.5	29.0	12.75	1554	+19.6
34	Nagdy Masoud, Islam	0	EGY	+24B	−4N	+47B	+55N	−9B	=33N	−23B	3.5	25.0	27.0	10.75	1556	0.0
35	Mahmoud El Kattan, Wael	1559	EGY	+58B	−15N	+57B	−12N	=17B	+50N	F	3.5	21.0	23.0	8.75	1042	-13.2
36	Kanawy Ibrahim, Ibrahim	1585	EGY	=32B	+75N	−11B	+60N	−37B	−17N	+58B	3.5	21.0	21.0	6.00	913	-13.4
37	Abdel Aziz, Mohamed	1802	EGY	+65B	=54N	−44N	+38B	+36N	−6B	F	3.5	20.0	20.0	10.25	1433	-28.0
38	Mohamed Ahmed , Aly	0	EGY	−55B	+52B	=51N	−37N	+41B	+49N	−16B	3.5	19.0	21.0	9.75	1481	0.0
39	Tamer, Anas	0	EGY	−33B	+65N	+75B	=49N	−23B	−26N	+67B	3.5	17.0	17.0	4.25	1252	0.0
40	FIDE 12218030	0	—	−21B	+46N	−33B	+?N	−22B	+?N	=52B	3.5	17.0	17.0	4.25	694	0.0
41	Salah Mohmed Galal Elind, Youssee	0	EGY	+?N	−5B	−20N	=53B	−38N	+66B	+?N	3.5	17.0	17.0	2.75	1418	0.0
42	Ayman Samy, Abanoub	0	EGY	−3B	+63N	−24B	+?N	−27N	−11B	+72N	3.0	22.0	22.0	3.00	866	0.0
43	Ataoot, Mohamed	1863	EGY	+45N	+51B	F	F	=6N	−5B	=24N	3.0	20.5	20.5	10.25	1594	-25.0
44	Ahmed Salah, Lojaina	1469	EGY	+72N	F	+37B	F	+12B	−3N	−11N	3.0	20.5	20.5	9.50	1755	+53.6
45	ALI ELHADI MOHAMED OSMAN	0	SUD	−43B	+62N	−21B	+47N	+60B	−10N	F	3.0	19.0	21.0	7.00	919	0.0
46	FIDE 555014496	0	—	−18N	−40B	+73N	+72B	+70N	−12N	−27B	3.0	18.5	19.0	2.50	997	0.0
47	FIDE 555012248	0	—	−7N	+73B	−34N	−45B	−58N	+65B	+62N	3.0	17.5	18.0	4.50	1260	0.0
48	FIDE 555012698	0	—	+?N	−27B	−67N	−28B	+61N	−29B	+?B	3.0	15.0	15.0	2.00	925	0.0
49	Elsayed Mohamed, Hamza	1563	EGY	+30N	−19N	+68B	=39B	−5N	−38B	−53N	2.5	23.0	24.0	6.75	1039	-14.4
50	Kyrillos Michel, Mina	0	EGY	−23N	+29B	=?N	−51B	+53N	−35B	−30N	2.5	20.5	20.5	6.50	1242	0.0
51	Ahmed Abdelaziz, Abdelaziz	1510	EGY	+62B	−43N	=38B	+50N	−10B	F	F	2.5	19.5	21.5	6.25	1021	-11.2
52	FIDE 54284651	0	—	−19B	−38N	+63B	−30N	+62B	F	=40N	2.5	19.0	21.0	5.75	1139	0.0
53	Ahmed Nabil, Adam	0	EGY	−14N	F	−59B	=41N	−50B	+73N	+49B	2.5	19.0	19.5	4.75	1568	0.0
54	Mohamed Tisser, Mohamed	0	EGY	+?N	=37B	F	−11N	F	+?B	−8N	2.5	15.5	15.5	1.75	1661	0.0
55	Eltablawi, Aly Tarek	1609	EGY	+38N	−7B	+56N	−34B	F	F	F	2.0	19.0	19.0	5.50	1209	-3.2
56	Ahmed Mohamed Loay, Adam	0	EGY	F	−12N	−55B	+57N	−30B	+60N	−25B	2.0	19.0	19.0	4.00	897	0.0
57	FIDE 555014178	0	—	−27N	+?B	−35N	−56B	−29N	+61B	−60B	2.0	17.5	17.5	2.00	842	0.0
58	FIDE 555014208	0	—	−35N	F	−32B	+75N	+47B	F	−36N	2.0	16.5	16.5	3.00	772	0.0
59	Mohamed Hassan, Salah	1587	EGY	F	F	+53N	+70B	−8N	−31B	F	2.0	15.5	15.5	3.50	1059	-6.8
60	FIDE 555012701	0	—	F	−16N	+?B	−36B	−45N	−56B	+57N	2.0	15.0	15.0	2.00	826	0.0
61	FIDE 54295432	0	—	−13B	−71N	+62B	−68N	−48B	−57N	+75B	2.0	13.5	13.5	2.00	1234	0.0
62	FIDE 555014550	0	—	−51N	−45B	−61N	+74B	−52N	+75B	−47B	2.0	13.5	13.5	0.50	710	0.0
63	FIDE 555010628	0	—	−20N	−42B	−52N	F	+?B	+?B	−28N	2.0	13.5	13.5	0.00	1445	0.0
64	Amr Hashad, Ziad	0	EGY	−8N	+72B	−10N	−?B	−?N	+69B	F	2.0	13.0	13.0	2.00	835	0.0
65	FIDE 555014518	0	—	−37N	−39B	−?N	=73B	=74N	−47N	+?B	2.0	11.0	11.0	0.50	838	0.0
66	Mohamed Salah, Lara	0	EGY	−22B	−28B	F	F	=?N	−41N	+74B	1.5	12.0	12.0	0.50	747	0.0
67	Ahmed Darwish, Mostafa	0	EGY	−2N	F	+48B	−16N	−32B	−28B	−39N	1.0	25.0	26.0	3.00	1101	0.0
68	FIDE 54234875	0	—	−9B	F	−49N	+61B	−?N	F	−29N	1.0	17.5	17.5	2.00	791	0.0
69	FIDE 555014534	0	—	−16B	F	−?N	−29B	F	−64N	+73B	1.0	12.0	12.0	0.50	866	0.0
70	FIDE 555010644	0	—	F	−9N	+?B	−59N	−46B	−?B	F	1.0	12.0	12.0	0.00	862	0.0
71	Mohamed Abo Elabass, Maisoun	0	EGY	−6N	+61B	F	F	−20N	−?B	−?N	1.0	11.5	11.5	2.00	714	0.0
72	FIDE 555010610	0	—	−44B	−64N	F	−46N	−?B	+?N	−42B	1.0	11.0	11.0	0.00	669	0.0
73	Mohamed Abdelfatah, Yazid	0	EGY	−11B	−47N	−46B	=65N	F	−53B	−69N	0.5	16.5	16.5	1.00	823	0.0
74	FIDE 555014526	0	—	−12B	−?B	−?N	−62N	=65B	F	−66N	0.5	10.5	10.5	1.00	786	0.0
75	FIDE 555014186	0	—	F	−36B	−39N	−58B	F	−62N	−61N	0.0	13.5	13.5	0.00	785	0.0
76	FIDE 54287405	0	—	−4B	−24N	F	F	F	F	F	0.0	9.5	9.5	0.00	838	0.0

Key insights

Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.

Top rating gainers

1Sherif Fouad, KareemEGY
+71.2
5.5 pts · #15
2Khamis Ahmed, MohamedEGY
+54.0
6.0 pts · #3
3Ahmed Salah, LojainaEGY
+53.6
3.0 pts · #22

Top rating losers

1Amgad alzantPLE
-45.2
4.0 pts · #72
2Bakeer Ehab, AhmadEGY
-43.2
4.5 pts · #9
3Azmey Anies, MahmoudEGY
-28.6
4.0 pts · #14

Biggest upsets

R3+333 Elo gap
Ahmed Salah, Lojaina1469 beat Abdel Aziz, Mohamed1802
R5+317 Elo gap
Ahmed Salah, Lojaina1469 beat Kalhy Anwar, Ibrahim1786
R4+307 Elo gap
Boutros Kamel, Yolyos1418 beat Amgad alzant1725