Team Profile

Tunisia is perhaps most famous for its history of both valor (Hannibal) and erudition (Ibn Khaldun). This Saharan country, neatly tucked between Libya to the east and Algeria to the west on the Mediterranean coast. Its chess history is ancient due to the popularization of chess by the Moors traveling across the Sahara.

It is ironic that Tunisia, one of the smallest countries in Africa, produced the continent's first chess Grandmaster in GM Slim Bouaziz (Morocco's Hichem Hamdouchi was the second).  Although GM Bouaziz is still an active player, another Slim has emerged.

Slim Belkhodja recently earned the country's second GM title and will lead the Tunisian side at Bled.  GM Belkhodja, who lives in France, participated in the last FIDE Knock-out World Championship losing to veteran GM Rafael Vaganian of Armenia. FM Nabil Doghri performed spectacularly in the 2000 Olympiad scoring 9½-3½ with only one draw in 13 games (TPR: 2448)!