Gold in 2024
The 2024 championship ran from 21 to 23 September in Bielefeld, Germany, with 84 competitors from 14 nations. In the under-12s — the Junior 1 division — M'Ghozzi scored 2,225 against a maximum of 2,547.
Two Algerians took the top two places: M'Ghozzi ahead of Douidi Wissal Firdaousse on 2,176, with Niva Vishal Gada of India third on 2,049. The competitors solve addition problems, identify square roots, calculate calendar dates and work through fractions and multiplication, all against the clock. Every task has a published maximum, so a score states exactly how much of the paper a child completed correctly.
A better score, a lower place
The 2025 edition, held in Bielefeld from 4 to 6 October with about 80 competitors from 15 nations, produced the outcome that scored sports specialise in. M'Ghozzi improved to 2,361 points — and finished second, because Wissal Firdaousse Douidi improved further, to 2,416.
Mihika Samir Bole of India took third on 2,279. Three competitors above 2,270 in an under-12 division is a serious depth of field, and it means the difference between gold and bronze at that age came down to a handful of answers across a whole morning of tasks.
Hectoc
At the same 2025 championship he placed third in the Hectoc competition among the junior contestants, with 56 solutions. Hectoc is a puzzle game: given a string of six digits, insert operations to make the expression equal 100, as fast as possible.
It is a different skill from bulk arithmetic — closer to search than to calculation — and a competitor who ranks in both is demonstrating flexibility rather than a single drilled routine. Abacus training produces speed; Hectoc rewards the ability to see, quickly, which arrangement of six digits will land on a hundred.
Algeria's calculators
The results tables tell a story beyond any individual. In 2025 Algerians took first and second in the under-12 division and second and third in the under-15s, and by 2026 Algerian competitors stood on the podium in all three junior age divisions.
The championship itself has grown alongside them: 84 competitors from 14 nations in 2024, around 80 from 15 in 2025, and 99 from 15 nations in 2026. North African calculators are now a fixed presence at an event long dominated by Europe and Asia.
What is documented — and what is not
Documented: the 2024 under-12 world title with 2,225 points, a third place in 2023, the 2025 silver with 2,361 points, and third in the 2025 Hectoc competition with 56 solutions.
Not documented in these sources: his exact age, his birth year, his home town, his school, his coach and his training. He is a child competitor, and the organisers publish his scores and nothing else. This page does the same, and treats the tables rather than the folklore as the record.
| Person | Country | Milestone | Age / Stat |
|---|
What is documented — and what is not
✓ Documented
- He won the under-12 division of the 2024 Junior Mental Calculation World Championship with 2,225 points.
- He had finished third in the same event in 2023.
- He scored 2,361 points for silver in 2025, behind Wissal Firdaousse Douidi on 2,416.
- He placed third in the 2025 Hectoc competition among junior contestants with 56 solutions.
? Unverified, disputed or wrong
- His exact age, birth year and home town.
- His school and coaching.
- How he trains and for how long.
- Whether he competed in 2026.
Questions people ask about Mohamed Iyed M'Ghozzi
What did Mohamed Iyed M'Ghozzi win?
The under-12 division of the Junior Mental Calculation World Championship in 2024, in Bielefeld, Germany, with 2,225 points.
How old is he?
The sources used here do not give his age or birth year. He competed in the under-12 division in 2024 and 2025.
Did he improve in 2025?
Yes — to 2,361 points — but he finished second, because the winner improved by more.
What tasks does the championship set?
Addition, square roots, calendar calculations and fractions and multiplication, each timed and scored against a published maximum.
What is Hectoc?
A puzzle in which six given digits must be combined with arithmetic operations to make 100. He placed third among junior contestants in 2025 with 56 solutions.
How strong is Algeria in this sport?
Very. Algerians took the top two under-12 places in 2024 and 2025, and reached the podium in every junior division by 2026.
Is he on Wikipedia?
The research record finds no article under his name. His results are published by the competition organisers.
Where is the championship held?
Bielefeld, Germany, in each of the years covered here.
Quick quiz: how well do you know Iyed’s story?
Which division did Mohamed Iyed M'Ghozzi win in 2024?
What happened in 2025?
What is Hectoc?
Sources
- Junior Mental Calculation World Championship 2024: Results — World Mental Calculation, 2024-09-29
- Junior Mental Calculation World Championship 2025: Results — World Mental Calculation, 2025-10-15
- Junior Mental Calculation World Championship 2023: Results — World Mental Calculation, 2023-10-05
Checked by the Geniuses.club editorial team. Ages are given as of September 2026.
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