2025 South African Open Chess Championships (Ladies)

Open SwissStandard

43 players participated in this 11-round tournament, held from 28 Jun 2025 to 05 Jul 2025 in Johannesburg, South Africa. 2 titled players from 3 federations. Top 10 Elo average was 1739, and top seed was Banda Natalie Katlo (🇧🇼 BOT, WFM, 1894).

Sizakele Masango (🇿🇦 RSA, 1800) won with 9.5/11, ahead of Dhiya Naidoo (9.0) and Tshepang Tlale (8.5). Masango shared the lead from round 6 and won solo starting round 8.

The biggest upset came in round 4: Amy Wallace (1489) beat Tshegofatso Mahuma (1778), a +289-point gap.

Location

🇿🇦Johannesburg, South Africa

Dates

28 Jun 2025 → 05 Jul 2025

Time control

Standard: 90 minutes with 30 second increment from move 1

System

Swiss · 11 rounds

Top seed

🇧🇼WFMBanda Natalie Katlo1894

Avg top 10

1,739

Participants

Titled players · 2

WIM×1

WFM×1

Federations · 3 represented

🇿🇦South Africa×35

🇧🇼Botswana×2

🇱🇸Lesotho×1

Top 3

🥇
Sizakele Masango
🇿🇦RSA·1800
9.5pts·1964perf+81.2
🥈
Dhiya Naidoo
🇿🇦RSA·1716
9.0pts·1937perf+110.0
🥉
WIMTshepang Tlale
🇿🇦RSA·1890
8.5pts·1850perf-4.6

How it unfolded

Top 6 · 11 rounds

Sizakele Masango led from R8; +0.5-point edge over the runner-up. Title race converged from 4 co-leaders at R4 to 1 by R8.

Co-leaders

Masango9.5Naidoo9Tlale8.5Katlo8Naidoo7.5Monteiro Correia7

R8 · LEADER CHANGE03 Jul

Sizakele Masango takes the sole lead (7.0/8).

R7 · HEAD-TO-HEAD · WINNER VS 2ND

Sizakele Masango beat Dhiya Naidoo (Black).

WIN STREAKS · 3 top finishers

Sizakele Masango 3+4 wins (R1–R3, R6–R9)Dhiya Naidoo 3+4 wins (R1–R3, R8–R11)WIM Tshepang Tlale 3+3 wins (R1–R3, R7–R9)

Key matchups · top 4

Head-to-head between the four finishers

Player	1	2	3	4
1Sizakele Masango	*	1	½	1
2Dhiya Naidoo	0	*	½	½
3WIMTshepang Tlale	½	½	*	½
4WFMBanda Natalie Katlo	0	½	½	*

Grille américaine

#	Player	Elo	Fed	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9	R10	R11	Pts	Bu C1	Bu	SB	Perf	Δ
1	Masango, Sizakele	1800	RSA	+31N	+20B	+11N	=3B	=5N	+6B	+2N	+4B	+7N	=9B	+10N	9.5	71.5	76.0	64.75	1964	+81.2
2	Naidoo, Dhiya	1716	RSA	+24B	+17N	+9B	=4N	+19B	=3N	−1B	+11N	+18N	+5B	+6N	9.0	70.0	75.0	57.25	1937	+110.0
3	Tlale, TshepangWIM	1890	RSA	+13B	+10N	+5B	=1N	=4B	=2B	+12N	+9N	+8B	−6B	+7N	8.5	74.0	80.0	59.75	1850	-4.6
4	Banda Natalie KatloWFM	1894	BOT	+35N	+7B	+6N	=2B	=3N	+9B	+18B	−1N	−5B	+11N	+13B	8.0	72.5	76.5	50.75	1835	-16.0
5	Naidoo, Kajol	1638	RSA	+40N	+26B	−3N	+38B	=1B	−18N	+19N	+12B	+4N	−2N	+9B	7.5	67.0	69.5	41.75	1755	+56.8
6	Marema, Phindile	1712	RSA	+12B	+21N	−4B	+37N	+8B	−1N	−11B	+16N	+23B	+3N	−2B	7.0	70.5	74.0	41.50	1682	-12.4
7	Ramlall, Sanjana	1543	RSA	+43B	−4N	+24B	−9N	+38B	+21N	+15B	+8N	−1B	+19N	−3B	7.0	65.0	65.5	33.00	1664	+44.0
8	Monteiro Correia, Maya	1552	RSA	+28N	=36B	+30N	=18B	−6N	+20B	+14N	−7B	−3N	+23N	+11B	7.0	60.0	63.5	36.50	1694	+58.4
9	Van Jaarsveld, Anje	1670	RSA	+38N	+15B	−2N	+7B	+11N	−4N	+10B	−3B	+25N	=1N	−5N	6.5	73.0	76.5	38.75	1686	+3.4
10	Dikolomela, Tlhogi	1549	RSA	+34N	−3B	=13N	=30B	+27N	+36B	−9N	=14B	+12N	+18B	−1B	6.5	61.5	65.0	32.25	1588	+8.0
11	Lorato Dolly Thapelo	1631	BOT	+37B	+23N	−1B	+21N	−9B	+25N	+6N	−2B	+14N	−4B	−8N	6.0	68.5	72.0	32.00	1634	+0.4
12	Anthonissen, Liliya	0	RSA	−6N	+42B	+20N	+15B	=18N	+19B	−3B	−5N	−10B	=21N	+26N	6.0	62.5	63.5	28.50	1603	0.0
13	Rakomako, Kgothatso	1475	RSA	−3N	+34B	=10B	−25N	+29B	+35N	+26N	−18B	=20N	+17B	−4N	6.0	59.0	63.0	30.00	1637	+59.6
14	Mahuma, Tshegofatso	1778	RSA	F	+28B	+23N	−19N	+35B	+16N	−8B	=10N	−11B	=15B	+24N	6.0	56.0	56.0	31.25	1475	-106.0
15	Manto, Martha	1510	RSA	+39B	−9N	=25B	−12N	+32B	+27N	−7N	+26B	−19B	=14N	+28B	6.0	55.5	58.0	27.50	1455	-8.0
16	Mojaki, Tshegofatso	0	RSA	=30N	+27B	−18N	=33B	+28N	−14B	+34N	−6B	+36N	+25B	−19B	6.0	52.0	55.5	27.00	861	-63.6
17	September, Mckenzie	1582	RSA	+29N	−2B	−38N	−36B	−34N	+39B	+32N	+37B	+30N	−13N	+23B	6.0	48.5	51.0	25.00	1426	-12.4
18	Teeke, Naleli	1664	LES	+32B	=19N	+16B	=8N	=12B	+5B	−4N	+13N	−2B	−10N	F	5.5	67.0	71.5	33.25	1566	-19.2
19	Wallace, Amy	1489	RSA	F	=18B	+36N	+14B	−2N	−12N	−5B	+27B	+15N	−7B	+16N	5.5	61.5	61.5	29.25	1584	+26.8
20	Deysel, Hannah	1524	RSA	+25B	−1N	−12B	+24N	+37B	−8N	+28B	−23N	=13B	+27N	F	5.5	59.0	62.5	26.50	1251	-51.6
21	Phosa, Lerato Portia	1505	RSA	+42N	−6B	+39N	−11B	+33N	−7B	F	F	+34N	=12B	+31N	5.5	47.0	47.0	19.50	1388	-24.4
22	Adamson, Amani	1515	RSA	=27N	−30B	−33N	−31B	+41N	−32B	+39N	+34B	−24N	+37B	+25N	5.5	43.0	45.0	19.50	637	-24.0
23	Netshimbupfe, Wanga	1459	RSA	+33N	−11B	−14B	+39N	+30N	−26B	+36N	+20B	−6N	−8B	−17N	5.0	55.0	57.5	20.50	1308	-44.8
24	Pillay, Leeyah	0	RSA	−2N	+29B	−7N	−20B	+39B	+37N	−25B	−28N	+22B	+36N	−14B	5.0	55.0	57.5	20.00	1373	0.0
25	Mathabatha, Audrey	0	RSA	−20N	+40B	=15N	+13B	=36N	−11B	+24N	+30B	−9B	−16N	−22B	5.0	54.5	57.0	22.75	1430	0.0
26	Mocumi, Visolia	1543	RSA	+41B	−5N	−37B	=29N	+31B	+23N	−13B	−15N	+32B	=28N	−12B	5.0	53.0	55.0	21.00	1432	-30.4
27	Mudzengerere, Makaita	0	RSA	=22B	−16N	+43B	+32N	−10B	−15B	+31N	−19N	+35B	−20B	=29N	5.0	53.0	53.5	18.75	1397	0.0
28	Shomolekae, Didintle	0	RSA	−8B	−14N	+41B	+43N	−16B	+33N	−20N	+24B	=31N	=26B	−15N	5.0	51.5	52.0	16.75	1284	0.0
29	Ndlovu, Lindokuhle	0	RSA	−17B	−24N	+40N	=26B	−13N	−31N	=33B	+41B	=38N	+34B	=27B	5.0	46.0	48.0	17.50	1340	0.0
30	Moseamedi, Kgomotso	0	RSA	=16B	+22N	−8B	=10N	−23B	+38N	F	−25N	−17B	=31B	+32N	4.5	55.5	59.0	22.00	1390	0.0
31	Bothma, Jaculene	1437	RSA	−1B	=43N	−32B	+22N	−26N	+29B	−27B	+33N	=28B	=30N	−21B	4.5	54.0	54.5	20.00	1396	-10.4
32	Manyate, Sibongile	0	RSA	−18N	=33B	+31N	−27B	−15N	+22N	−17B	+40B	−26N	+38B	−30B	4.5	50.0	52.5	18.25	1471	0.0
33	FIDE 534027513	0	—	−23B	=32N	+22B	=16N	−21B	−28B	=29N	−31B	=37N	+42N	=36B	4.5	48.0	49.0	17.75	1285	0.0
34	Mbatha, Sethabile	0	RSA	−10B	−13N	−35N	+?B	+17B	+40N	−16B	−22N	−21B	−29N	+42B	4.0	48.0	48.0	9.50	1343	0.0
35	Tivane, Lebo	1481	RSA	−4B	−37N	+34B	+42N	−14N	−13B	+38N	−36B	−27N	F	+41B	4.0	42.5	42.5	10.50	911	-29.6
36	Sekwaila, Phuti	0	RSA	F	=8N	−19B	+17N	=25B	−10N	−23B	+35N	−16B	−24B	=33N	3.5	54.5	54.5	18.25	1462	0.0
37	Luchies, Maria	0	RSA	−11N	+35B	+26N	−6B	−20N	−24B	+40B	−17N	=33B	−22N	F	3.5	51.0	53.5	13.75	1462	0.0
38	Netshimbupfe, Grace	0	RSA	−9B	+41N	+17B	−5N	−7N	−30B	−35B	+42N	=29B	−32N	F	3.5	48.0	48.0	11.50	1342	0.0
39	FIDE 534023372	0	—	−15N	F	−21B	−23B	−24N	−17N	−22B	+?N	+42B	=40N	F	2.5	40.0	40.0	2.25	1095	0.0
40	Moabi, Olerato	1409	RSA	−5B	−25N	−29B	+41N	+42B	−34B	−37N	−32N	F	=39B	F	2.5	35.0	35.0	4.25	838	-8.4
41	FIDE 534027491	0	—	−26N	−38B	−28N	−40B	−22B	+42N	F	−29N	F	+?B	−35N	2.0	31.5	31.5	1.00	685	0.0
42	FIDE 534023976	0	—	−21B	−12N	F	−35B	−40N	−41B	+?N	−38B	−39N	−33B	−34N	1.0	34.5	34.5	0.00	665	0.0
43	FIDE 534027483	0	—	−7N	=31B	−27N	−28B	F	F	F	F	F	F	F	0.5	21.5	21.5	2.25	1297	0.0

Key insights

Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.

Top rating gainers

1Naidoo, DhiyaRSA
+110.0
9.0 pts · #3
2Masango, SizakeleRSA
+81.2
9.5 pts · #1
3Rakomako, KgothatsoRSA
+59.6
6.0 pts · #11

Top rating losers

1Mahuma, TshegofatsoRSA
-106.0
6.0 pts · #15
2Mojaki, TshegofatsoRSA
-63.6
6.0 pts · #39
3Deysel, HannahRSA
-51.6
5.5 pts · #37

Biggest upsets

R4+289 Elo gap
Wallace, Amy1489 beat Mahuma, Tshegofatso1778
R9+256 Elo gap
Naidoo, Kajol1638 beat WFMBanda Natalie Katlo1894
R7+226 Elo gap
Monteiro Correia, Maya1552 beat Mahuma, Tshegofatso1778