Egypt's Abdalrahman Sameh Becomes World's #1 Under-10 Chess Player

After winning the Egyptian National Championship across age categories, the African Youth Championship, and representing Egypt at the World Team Championship in Kazakhstan, 10-year-old chess prodigy Abdalrahman Sameh has risen to the #1 ranking of under-10 chess players worldwide. This makes the young player the best chess player in the world 10 years old or younger, according to the International Chess Federation (FIDE), with a rating of 2238 in classical chess.

Sameh’s win is particularly impressive considering his lack of professional training, having only been trained by his family. His talents have since awed experts such as Egyptian chess grandmasters Ahmed Adly and Bassem Amin, who lauded Sameh for his rapid development and exceptional analytical skills. Sameh only began participating in rated tournaments in January 2024, and his rating has skyrocketed since.

Currently, Sameh is preparing to join the Arab Youth Championship in Tunisia. A win in the aforementioned tournament would make him the youngest international master in history.