2025 African Amateurs Individual Chess Championship Under 2300, 2000, 1700 (Open)
Open SwissStandard
31 players participated in this 9-round tournament, held from 18 Aug 2025 to 25 Aug 2025 in Bujumbura Mairie, Burundi. 4 titled players from 6 federations. Top 10 Elo average was 1866, and top seed was Madol Garang Panthou Joh (🇸🇸 SSD, CM, 2114).
Thomas Zulu (🇿🇲 ZAM, CM, 2101) won with 8.5/9, ahead of Madol Garang Panthou Joh (7.0) and Sasha Mongeli (6.5). Zulu won solo starting round 5.
The biggest upset came in round 1: Justin James Rishworth (1547) beat Rukundo Joe Stephane (1815), a +268-point gap.
Location
🇧🇮Bujumbura Mairie, Burundi
Dates
18 Aug 2025 → 25 Aug 2025
Time control
Standard: 90min/40moves+30min/end+30sec increment per move starting from move 1
System
Swiss · 9 rounds
Titled players · 4
CM×2
WIM×1
WFM×1
Federations · 6 represented
🇧🇮Burundi×15
🇺🇬Uganda×7
🇰🇪Kenya×2
🇿🇦South Africa×1
🇿🇲Zambia×1
🇸🇸South Sudan×1
Top 3
- 🥇
- 🥈
- 🥉
How it unfolded
Top 6 · 9 roundsCM Thomas Zulu led from R5; +1.5-point edge over the runner-up. Title race converged from 2 co-leaders at R4 to 1 by R5.
Co-leaders
13
7
3
2
1
1
1
1
1
R5–R9 · LEAD HELD
CM Thomas Zulu never relinquished the lead after R5; final gap +1.5 over the runner-up.
R6 · HEAD-TO-HEAD · WINNER VS 2ND
CM Thomas Zulu drew with CM Madol Garang Panthou Joh (Black).
WIN STREAKS · 2 top finishers
CM Thomas Zulu 5+3 wins (R1–R5, R7–R9)WFM Sasha Mongeli 4 wins (R1–R4)
Key matchups · top 4
Head-to-head between the four finishers| Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1CMThomas Zulu | * | ½ | 1 | 1 |
| 2CMMadol Garang Panthou Joh | ½ | * | 0 | 1 |
| 3WFMSasha Mongeli | 0 | 1 | * | 1 |
| 4WIMSana Omprakash Kayyar | 0 | 0 | 0 | * |
Grille américaine
| # | Player | Elo | Fed | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 | R9 | Pts | Bu C1 | Bu | SB | Perf | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zulu, ThomasCM | 2101 | ZAM | +27B | +20N | +8B | +4N | +3B | =2N | +6B | +5N | +7B | 8.5 | 46.0 | 48.0 | 44.50 | 2260 | +23.0 |
| 2 | Madol Garang Panthou JohCM | 2114 | SSD | +16N | +13B | −3N | +9B | +8N | =1B | =7N | +4B | +6N | 7.0 | 48.0 | 52.5 | 39.00 | 2034 | -9.4 |
| 3 | Mongeli, SashaWFM | 1848 | KEN | +23B | +7N | +2B | +15N | −1N | =6B | +4B | =8N | =10B | 6.5 | 48.0 | 51.0 | 34.25 | 2009 | +30.4 |
| 4 | Sana Omprakash KayyarWIM | 1974 | UGA | +21N | +11B | +6N | −1B | +7N | +14B | −3N | −2N | +8B | 6.0 | 48.5 | 52.5 | 30.50 | 1929 | -9.6 |
| 5 | Shoubhith Omprakash Kayyar | 1731 | UGA | =10N | +17B | =15N | +28B | −14N | +16B | +9N | −1B | +12N | 6.0 | 42.5 | 44.5 | 26.50 | 1846 | +27.6 |
| 6 | Wanjiru Chrisphinus | 1750 | KEN | +31B | +12N | −4B | +20N | +18B | =3N | −1N | +11B | −2B | 5.5 | 46.5 | 46.5 | 21.75 | 1874 | +19.8 |
| 7 | Kabanda Elvin Bogere | 1666 | UGA | +22N | −3B | +19N | +11B | −4B | +28N | =2B | +14B | −1N | 5.5 | 45.5 | 47.5 | 23.00 | 1825 | +38.0 |
| 8 | Ingabire, Alain-Michel | 1801 | BDI | +25B | +29N | −1N | +16B | −2B | +10N | +17B | =3B | −4N | 5.5 | 45.5 | 47.5 | 22.75 | 1838 | +5.6 |
| 9 | Mbabani Allan | 1639 | UGA | −12B | +25N | +22B | −2N | +19B | +18N | −5B | =17N | +14B | 5.5 | 38.5 | 41.5 | 21.25 | 1822 | +44.4 |
| 10 | Irategekanya Eddy Jacques | 0 | BDI | =5B | −18N | =26B | +12N | +13N | −8B | +28B | +19N | =3N | 5.5 | 38.5 | 40.5 | 23.50 | 1695 | 0.0 |
| 11 | Rishworth, Justin James | 1547 | RSA | +18B | −4N | =14B | −7N | +27B | +15N | +20B | −6N | +17B | 5.5 | 38.5 | 40.5 | 21.25 | 1796 | +50.4 |
| 12 | Nizigiyimana Gift | 0 | BDI | +9N | −6B | −16N | −10B | +31N | +26B | +23N | +22B | −5B | 5.0 | 36.0 | 36.0 | 14.50 | 1647 | 0.0 |
| 13 | Ssematimba John | 1708 | UGA | +19B | −2N | +29B | −18N | −10B | −22N | +25N | +23B | +21N | 5.0 | 34.0 | 36.0 | 16.00 | 1765 | +7.6 |
| 14 | Byawaka Alvin Herbert | 1795 | UGA | +24N | −15B | =11N | +21B | +5B | −4N | +18B | −7N | −9N | 4.5 | 41.0 | 44.0 | 19.75 | 1708 | -31.6 |
| 15 | Sentore Larry | 0 | BDI | +26B | +14N | =5B | −3B | −17N | −11B | =22N | +18N | =16B | 4.5 | 39.0 | 41.5 | 18.00 | 1710 | 0.0 |
| 16 | Arakaza Abdoul Wadoud | 1603 | BDI | −2B | +31N | +12B | −8N | +22B | −5N | −19B | +24N | =15N | 4.5 | 38.5 | 38.5 | 13.75 | 1045 | -26.0 |
| 17 | Matovu Musa | 1730 | UGA | F | −5N | +25B | +29N | +15B | +23B | −8N | =9B | −11N | 4.5 | 35.0 | 37.0 | 15.25 | 1505 | -29.8 |
| 18 | Rukundo Joe Stephane | 1815 | BDI | −11N | +10B | +23N | +13B | −6N | −9B | −14N | −15B | +27N | 4.0 | 39.0 | 41.0 | 15.50 | 1605 | -77.2 |
| 19 | Niyimfasha Clement | 0 | BDI | −13N | +21B | −7B | +27N | −9N | +24B | +16N | −10B | −20N | 4.0 | 37.0 | 39.0 | 13.50 | 1596 | 0.0 |
| 20 | Nasani Mahesh | 1722 | BDI | +30N | −1B | +24N | −6B | −23N | +21B | −11N | F | +19B | 4.0 | 35.5 | 35.5 | 13.00 | 1467 | -67.6 |
| 21 | Ngerageze Dieu Merci | 1586 | BDI | −4B | −19N | +31B | −14N | +29B | −20N | +30B | +28N | −13B | 4.0 | 29.5 | 29.5 | 6.00 | 1000 | -38.8 |
| 22 | Niyomukiza Loic Mike | 0 | BDI | −7B | F | −9N | +24B | −16N | +13B | =15B | −12N | +23N | 3.5 | 36.0 | 36.0 | 13.25 | 1561 | 0.0 |
| 23 | Niyukuri Mariette | 1551 | BDI | −3N | +28B | −18B | +30N | +20B | −17N | −12B | −13N | −22B | 3.0 | 34.5 | 36.5 | 8.00 | 1524 | -6.4 |
| 24 | Igiraneza Aime Gondra | 0 | BDI | −14B | +26N | −20B | −22N | +30B | −19N | +27N | −16B | F | 3.0 | 27.0 | 27.0 | 6.50 | 1594 | 0.0 |
| 25 | FIDE 20300646 | 0 | — | −8N | −9B | −17N | −26N | F | +29B | −13B | +31N | +30B | 3.0 | 27.0 | 27.0 | 4.00 | 898 | 0.0 |
| 26 | Iradukunda Jospin | 1610 | BDI | −15N | −24B | =10N | +25B | −28N | −12N | F | −27B | +31B | 2.5 | 25.0 | 25.0 | 5.75 | 798 | -20.8 |
| 27 | Hacimana Cedric | 1598 | BDI | −1N | +30B | −28N | −19B | −11N | F | −24B | +26N | −18B | 2.0 | 31.5 | 31.5 | 4.50 | 1549 | -14.0 |
| 28 | Sindayigaya Jean Redempteur | 0 | BDI | F | −23N | +27B | −5N | +26B | −7B | −10N | −21B | −29N | 2.0 | 30.5 | 30.5 | 4.50 | 1499 | 0.0 |
| 29 | FIDE 20300964 | 0 | — | F | −8B | −13N | −17B | −21N | −25N | +31B | −30N | +28B | 2.0 | 30.5 | 30.5 | 2.00 | 906 | 0.0 |
| 30 | FIDE 20300999 | 0 | — | −20B | −27N | F | −23B | −24N | +31B | −21N | +29B | −25N | 2.0 | 21.0 | 21.0 | 2.00 | 814 | 0.0 |
| 31 | FIDE 20300875 | 0 | — | −6N | −16B | −21N | F | −12B | −30N | −29N | −25B | −26N | 0.0 | 28.5 | 28.5 | 0.00 | 837 | 0.0 |
Key insights
Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.
Top rating gainers
- 1Rishworth, Justin JamesRSA+50.45.5 pts · #5
- 2Mbabani AllanUGA+44.45.5 pts · #13
- 3Kabanda Elvin BogereUGA+38.05.5 pts · #16
Top rating losers
- 1Rukundo Joe StephaneBDI-77.24.0 pts · #11
- 2Nasani MaheshBDI-67.64.0 pts · #24
- 3Ngerageze Dieu MerciBDI-38.84.0 pts · #25
Biggest upsets
- R1+268 Elo gap
- R3+266 Elo gap
- R9+183 Elo gap