2025 South African Open Chess Championships (U12)
25 players participated in this 5-round tournament, held from 28 Jun 2025 to 05 Jul 2025 in Johannesburg, South Africa. 2 federations represented. Top 10 Elo average was 599, and top seed was Emilio Goncalves (🇿🇦 RSA, 1752).
Kairaav Thorulsley (🇿🇦 RSA, 1621) won with 4.5/5, ahead of Magnus Kleynhans (4.5) and Neelo Motau (4.5). Thorulsley shared the lead from round 1, winning on tie-break.
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How it unfolded
Top 6 · 5 roundsTight race until R5; 3 players tied at 4.5/5, decided on Buchholz. Title race narrowed from 2 co-leaders at R4 to 3 at the finish.
3 players finish on 4.5/5. Thorulsley takes the title on Buchholz Cut1 (14.5).
Neelo Motau drew with Kairaav Thorulsley (White).
Neelo Motau 4 wins (R1–R4)Kairaav Thorulsley 4 wins (R1–R4)
Key matchups · top 4
Head-to-head between the four finishers| Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Neelo Motau | * | ½ | — | — |
| 2Kairaav Thorulsley | ½ | * | — | — |
| 3Magnus Kleynhans | — | — | * | ½ |
| 4Nkazimulo Nkabinde | — | — | ½ | * |
Grille américaine
| # | Player | Elo | Fed | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | Pts | Bu C1 | Bu | SB | Perf | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thorulsley, Kairaav | 1621 | RSA | +23N | +9B | +12N | +5B | =3N | 4.5 | 14.5 | 16.0 | 13.75 | 2290 | +12.8 |
| 2 | Kleynhans, Magnus | 0 | RSA | +?N | +?B | =4N | +6B | +8B | 4.5 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 9.00 | 1425 | 0.0 |
| 3 | Motau, Neelo | 0 | RSA | +?N | +?B | +7N | +?B | =1B | 4.5 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 5.75 | 1706 | 0.0 |
| 4 | Nkabinde, Nkazimulo | 0 | RSA | +?B | +?N | =2B | +?B | =?N | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 2.25 | 1433 | 0.0 |
| 5 | Eapen, Johan | 1490 | RSA | +21B | +16N | +13B | −1N | =7B | 3.5 | 13.5 | 15.5 | 9.25 | 1545 | +6.0 |
| 6 | Stelloh, Sebastian | 1406 | RSA | +25B | +22N | =10B | −2N | +16B | 3.5 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 6.25 | 2269 | +23.6 |
| 7 | FIDE 534027904 | 0 | — | +?B | +?N | −3B | +?N | =5N | 3.5 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 1.75 | 1490 | 0.0 |
| 8 | Kaboyaone Karl Amour | 0 | BOT | +?N | +?B | =?N | +?B | −2N | 3.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 0.00 | 1433 | -6.0 |
| 9 | FIDE 534001980 | 0 | — | +?B | −1N | +?B | =?N | +?B | 3.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 0.00 | 820 | 0.0 |
| 10 | Dsouza, Ethan | 0 | RSA | +?N | +?B | =6N | −?B | +?N | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 1.75 | 1226 | -34.8 |
| 11 | Opperman, Naude | 0 | RSA | +?B | −?N | +?B | =16N | +?B | 3.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 1.25 | 1469 | 0.0 |
| 12 | FIDE 534024107 | 0 | — | +?B | +?N | −1B | +?N | −?B | 3.0 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 0.00 | 820 | 0.0 |
| 13 | Wilson, Jared | 0 | RSA | F | +?B | −5N | +?B | +?N | 3.0 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 0.00 | 1621 | 0.0 |
| 14 | FIDE 534018352 | 0 | — | +?N | −?B | +?N | +?B | −?N | 3.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.00 | 951 | 0.0 |
| 15 | Mistry, Kabir | 0 | RSA | +?B | +?N | −?N | +?B | −?N | 3.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.00 | 951 | 0.0 |
| 16 | Soojay, Josiah | 1469 | RSA | +19B | −5B | +17N | =11B | −6N | 2.5 | 13.0 | 15.5 | 6.75 | 648 | -42.4 |
| 17 | Mabutho, Simingayo | 0 | RSA | −18B | +19N | −16B | =?N | +?B | 2.5 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 2.50 | 669 | 0.0 |
| 18 | FIDE 534018212 | 0 | — | +17N | −?B | −?N | +?B | =20N | 2.5 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 3.75 | 633 | 0.0 |
| 19 | FIDE 534018344 | 0 | — | −16N | −17B | +25N | +?B | =?N | 2.5 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 0.00 | 669 | 0.0 |
| 20 | FIDE 534028080 | 0 | — | −?N | +?B | −?N | +24B | =18B | 2.5 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 1.75 | 951 | 0.0 |
| 21 | FIDE 534007482 | 0 | — | −5N | −?B | +?N | +22B | F | 2.0 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 2.00 | 690 | 0.0 |
| 22 | FIDE 534027963 | 0 | — | +?B | −6B | −?N | −21N | +?B | 2.0 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 0.00 | 605 | 0.0 |
| 23 | FIDE 534007539 | 0 | — | −1B | −?N | +?B | −?N | =24N | 1.5 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 0.25 | 820 | 0.0 |
| 24 | FIDE 14361868 | 0 | — | −?N | −?B | F | −20N | =23B | 0.5 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 0.75 | 633 | 0.0 |
| 25 | FIDE 534027971 | 0 | — | −6N | −?N | −19B | −?B | F | 0.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 0.00 | 605 | 0.0 |
Key insights
Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.
- 1Stelloh, SebastianRSA+23.63.5 pts · #4
- 2Thorulsley, KairaavRSA+12.84.5 pts · #5
- 3Eapen, JohanRSA+6.03.5 pts · #3
- 1Soojay, JosiahRSA-42.42.5 pts · #19
- 2Dsouza, EthanRSA-34.83.5 pts · #9
- 3Kaboyaone Karl AmourBOT-6.03.5 pts · #7