2025 Cracking Series International Chess Challenge-Open Section

Open SwissStandard

37 players participated in this 7-round tournament, held from 18 Jul 2025 to 21 Jul 2025 in Botho University, Gaborone, Botswana. 10 titled players from 5 federations. Top 10 Elo average was 2143, and top seed was Gillan Bwalya (🇿🇲 ZAM, IM, 2299).

Banele Mhango (🇿🇦 RSA, FM, 2221) won with 6.0/7, ahead of Joseph Mwale (5.0) and Spencer Masango (5.0). Mhango took the lead from round 4.

The biggest upset came in round 2: Lwazi Selepe (2042) beat Gillan Bwalya (IM, 2299), a +257-point gap.

Location

🇧🇼Botho University, Gaborone, Botswana

Dates

18 Jul 2025 → 21 Jul 2025

Time control

Standard: 75 minutes with 30 seconds increment from move 1

System

Swiss · 7 rounds

Top seed

🇿🇲IMGillan Bwalya2299

Avg top 10

2,143

Participants

Titled players · 10

IM×2

FM×3

CM×5

Federations · 5 represented

🇧🇼Botswana×24

🇿🇦South Africa×4

🇲🇼Malawi×3

🇿🇲Zambia×3

🇿🇼Zimbabwe×1

Top 3

🥇
FMBanele Mhango
🇿🇦RSA·2221
6.0pts·2391perf+25.6
🥈
FMJoseph Mwale
🇲🇼MAW·2103
5.0pts·2341perf+34.6
🥉
Spencer Masango
🇿🇼ZIM·2107
5.0pts·2180perf+15.2

How it unfolded

Top 6 · 7 rounds

FM Banele Mhango led from R4; +1.0-point edge over the runner-up.

Co-leaders

Mhango6Bwalya5Timothy5Mwale5Masango5Monnaatsheko4

R4 · LEADER CHANGE20 Jul

FM Banele Mhango takes the sole lead (3.5/4).

R3–R5 · WIN STREAK

IM Gillan Bwalya won 3 in a row (R3–R5).

Key matchups · top 4

Head-to-head between the four finishers

Player	1	2	3	4
1FMBanele Mhango	*	—	1	½
2IMGillan Bwalya	—	*	—	0
3Kabwe Timothy	0	—	*	—
4FMJoseph Mwale	½	1	—	*

Grille américaine

#	Player	Elo	Fed	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	Pts	Bu C1	Bu	SB	Perf	Δ
1	Mhango, BaneleFM	2221	RSA	+25N	+9B	=6N	+3B	=2N	+5B	+8N	6.0	27.0	29.0	24.50	2391	+25.6
2	Mwale, JosephFM	2103	MAW	+32N	+20B	F	+7N	=1B	+4B	=13N	5.0	25.0	26.0	17.75	2341	+34.6
3	Masango, Spencer	2107	ZIM	+28B	=16N	+15B	−1N	+14B	=8B	+9N	5.0	24.5	26.5	16.75	2180	+15.2
4	Bwalya, GillanIM	2299	ZAM	+11B	−13N	+26B	+9N	+17B	−2N	+7B	5.0	23.5	25.5	17.00	2153	-9.5
5	Kabwe Timothy	2198	ZAM	=21B	+31N	+16B	=17N	+7B	−1N	+6B	5.0	23.5	25.0	16.00	2169	-2.6
6	Sebetlela Gaasite	2042	BOT	+14B	+12N	=1B	=18N	+16B	−13N	−5N	4.0	25.5	28.5	15.50	2105	+12.4
7	Monnaatsheko, Keletshabile	2051	BOT	+19N	+33B	+8N	−2B	−5N	+17B	−4N	4.0	25.0	26.0	11.00	2124	+14.0
8	Kaoma, Micheal	2238	ZAM	+22B	=15N	−7B	+31N	+23B	=3N	−1B	4.0	24.0	25.5	11.25	2090	-24.2
9	Olebile, ThatoFM	1980	BOT	+37B	−1N	+32B	−4B	+25N	+22N	−3B	4.0	22.0	22.0	6.00	2053	+10.0
10	Nyambalo, Joseph XavierCM	1985	MAW	=27B	=24N	+28B	=14N	=15B	+11N	−18B	4.0	18.5	20.5	11.75	1952	-5.0
11	Kobe Gofaone	1931	BOT	−4N	+30B	+33N	−13B	+19N	−10B	+35B	4.0	18.0	18.0	5.50	1975	+5.4
12	Mthunzi, Clive	1974	RSA	+29N	−6B	−17N	+32B	+26N	F	+14B	4.0	17.5	18.5	8.50	1987	+4.0
13	Selepe, Lwazi	2042	RSA	F	+4B	F	+11N	F	+6B	=2B	3.5	26.0	26.0	15.50	2430	+35.0
14	Kitso Innocent Kgosietsile	1843	BOT	−6N	+34B	+20N	=10B	−3N	+23B	−12N	3.5	22.5	23.5	8.50	1956	+16.6
15	Mosutha, ThusoCM	2005	BOT	+30N	=8B	−3N	=25B	=10N	+20B	F	3.5	21.5	23.0	9.50	2052	+8.0
16	Notha, MoakofiCM	1983	BOT	+36N	=3B	−5N	+27B	−6N	+30B	F	3.5	21.0	21.0	6.00	1966	+1.0
17	Mpene ThutoCM	1958	BOT	+35B	=18N	+12B	=5B	−4N	−7N	F	3.0	24.0	24.0	8.00	2057	+22.0
18	Mabusela, Johannes ManyediIM	2125	RSA	+26N	=17B	F	=6B	F	F	+10N	3.0	21.0	23.0	9.50	2162	+3.6
19	Motshabi, Boikobo	1856	BOT	−7B	+35N	+22B	−23N	−11B	=21N	=27N	3.0	18.5	18.5	5.50	1800	-9.2
20	Kealeboga, Baone	1928	BOT	F	−2N	−14B	+24N	+28B	−15N	+33B	3.0	17.5	17.5	5.50	1919	-1.8
21	Maswabi Opelo	1889	BOT	=5N	−23B	=30N	F	+27B	=19B	=26N	3.0	16.0	16.0	7.75	1918	+3.4
22	Musekiwa, Michael	1920	BOT	−8N	+36B	−19N	+33B	+35N	−9B	F	3.0	15.0	15.0	1.00	1820	-12.8
23	Mwale, GeorgeCM	2041	MAW	=24B	+21N	F	+19B	−8N	−14N	F	2.5	19.0	21.0	7.25	1928	-14.8
24	Selogelo Othata	1814	BOT	=23N	=10B	−27N	−20B	+34N	=26B	F	2.5	15.0	16.0	5.25	1763	-7.0
25	Motunge Gaolathe	1907	BOT	−1B	+27N	=31B	=15N	−9B	F	F	2.0	19.5	20.5	4.50	1899	-2.4
26	Simon, Bokamoso	1889	BOT	−18B	F	−4N	+29N	−12B	=24N	=21B	2.0	19.5	19.5	4.75	1807	-13.4
27	Masaiti, Gideon	1716	BOT	=10N	−25B	+24B	−16N	−21N	F	=19B	2.0	18.0	19.0	6.00	1781	+9.0
28	Mokwena, Kingsley	1882	BOT	−3N	+29B	−10N	+34B	−20N	F	F	2.0	16.0	16.0	3.00	1687	-18.6
29	Aone Morei	1498	BOT	−12B	−28N	+36N	−26B	−32N	+34B	F	2.0	10.0	10.0	1.00	1564	+4.8
30	Motlhanka Ofile	1806	BOT	−15B	−11N	=21B	+36N	F	−16N	F	1.5	18.0	18.0	1.50	1710	-12.0
31	Bayani, Kuda	1933	BOT	+34N	−5B	=25N	−8B	F	F	F	1.5	13.5	13.5	2.00	1841	-7.2
32	Mokgathi Kebonyephenyo	1866	BOT	−2B	F	−9N	−12N	+29B	F	F	1.0	19.0	19.0	2.00	1696	-15.8
33	Thekiso, Yaone	1864	BOT	F	−7N	−11B	−22N	+36B	F	−20N	1.0	16.0	16.0	0.00	1623	-28.2
34	Ruele Latino	0	BOT	−31B	−14N	F	−28N	−24B	−29N	+36B	1.0	11.5	11.5	0.00	1470	0.0
35	FIDE 11331852	0	—	−17N	−19B	F	F	−22B	F	−11N	0.0	18.0	18.0	0.00	1116	0.0
36	Ramaselwane Mpho	1476	BOT	−16B	−22N	−29B	−30B	−33N	F	−34N	0.0	12.0	12.0	0.00	988	-17.2
37	FIDE 11331879	0	—	−9N	F	F	F	F	F	F	0.0	5.0	5.0	0.00	1180	0.0

Key insights

Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.

Top rating gainers

1Selepe, LwaziRSA
+35.0
3.5 pts · #13
2Mwale, JosephFMMAW
+34.6
5.0 pts · #4
3Mhango, BaneleFMRSA
+25.6
6.0 pts · #1

Top rating losers

1Thekiso, YaoneBOT
-28.2
1.0 pts · #32
2Kaoma, MichealZAM
-24.2
4.0 pts · #8
3Mokwena, KingsleyBOT
-18.6
2.0 pts · #31

Biggest upsets

R2+257 Elo gap
Selepe, Lwazi2042 beat IMBwalya, Gillan2299
R6+198 Elo gap
Kitso Innocent Kgosietsile1843 beat CMMwale, George2041
R6+196 Elo gap
FMMwale, Joseph2103 beat IMBwalya, Gillan2299