Eastern Cape Closed 2025 (U18 Open)

Open SwissStandard

39 players participated in this 6-round tournament, held from 06 Sept 2025 to 07 Sept 2025 in Gqeberha, South Africa. 1 titled players. Top 10 Elo average was 1710, and top seed was Elam Mqweba (🇿🇦 RSA, 1828).

James CHIPUNZA (🇿🇦 RSA, 1767) won with 5.5/6, ahead of Onako Bambela (4.5) and Dominic Powell (4.5). CHIPUNZA won solo starting round 4.

The biggest upset came in round 4: Dominic Powell (1487) beat Jait Booysen (1723), a +236-point gap.

Location

🇿🇦Gqeberha, South Africa

Dates

06 Sept 2025 → 07 Sept 2025

Time control

Standard: 70 minutes for the game with 30 seconds increment from move 1

System

Swiss · 6 rounds

Top seed

🇿🇦Elam Mqweba1828

Avg top 10

1,710

Participants

Titled players · 1

CM×1

Federations · 1 represented

🇿🇦South Africa×35

Top 3

🥇
James CHIPUNZA
🇿🇦RSA·1767
5.5pts·1992perf+44.0
🥈
Onako Bambela
🇿🇦RSA·1573
4.5pts·1789perf+57.6
🥉
Dominic Powell
🇿🇦RSA·1487
4.5pts·1832perf+90.0

How it unfolded

Top 6 · 6 rounds

James CHIPUNZA led from R4; +1.0-point edge over the runner-up.

Co-leaders

CHIPUNZA5.5Powell4.5Bambela4.5Abrahams4George4Mqweba4

R4–R6 · LEAD HELD

James CHIPUNZA never relinquished the lead after R4; final gap +1.0 over the runner-up.

R5 · HEAD-TO-HEAD · WINNER VS 2ND

James CHIPUNZA drew with Dominic Powell (White).

R1–R4 · WIN STREAK

James CHIPUNZA won 4 in a row (R1–R4).

Key matchups · top 4

Head-to-head between the four finishers

Player	1	2	3	4
1James CHIPUNZA	*	½	1	1
2Dominic Powell	½	*	—	½
3Onako Bambela	0	—	*	—
4Brandon Abrahams	0	½	—	*

Grille américaine

#	Player	Elo	Fed	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	Pts	Bu C1	Bu	SB	Perf	Δ
1	CHIPUNZA, James	1767	RSA	+26B	+2N	+5B	+4N	=3B	+13N	5.5	20.5	23.0	20.75	1992	+44.0
2	Bambela, Onako	1573	RSA	+34N	−1B	+19N	+11B	=6N	+10B	4.5	19.5	21.0	13.50	1789	+57.6
3	Powell, Dominic	1487	RSA	+35B	=25N	+8B	+10B	=1N	=4N	4.5	19.5	20.5	14.50	1832	+90.0
4	Abrahams, Brandon	1616	RSA	+19N	+6B	+9N	−1B	=5N	=3B	4.0	22.0	25.0	15.25	1785	+54.0
5	Mqweba, Elam	1828	RSA	+23B	+13B	−1N	+20N	=4B	=7N	4.0	20.0	23.0	13.50	1702	-27.2
6	George, Vijay Georgey	1590	RSA	+24B	−4N	+28B	+14N	=2B	=17N	4.0	18.5	21.0	13.00	1650	+16.8
7	Groener, Gladwin	1717	RSA	+21B	=14N	+25B	=12N	=10N	=5B	4.0	17.5	20.0	12.75	1740	+7.2
8	Peter, NoahCM	1714	RSA	=11N	+22B	−3N	=25B	+18B	+20N	4.0	17.5	20.0	12.50	1636	-20.0
9	Pearson, Ethan	1728	RSA	+29B	+30N	−4B	=15N	=12B	+21N	4.0	16.5	18.5	11.00	1543	-28.0
10	Booysen, Jait	1723	RSA	+31B	+18N	+20B	−3N	=7B	−2N	3.5	19.5	21.5	10.50	1513	-46.0
11	Amachukwu, Joseph	1557	RSA	=8B	=17N	+21B	−2N	=14B	+27N	3.5	18.5	21.0	11.00	1605	+12.8
12	Pearson, Dane Kevin	1524	RSA	+36N	=15B	=13N	=7B	=9N	=16B	3.5	18.5	19.5	10.25	1708	+49.2
13	Scheepers, Storm	1626	RSA	+32B	−5N	=12B	+26N	+27B	−1B	3.5	18.0	20.0	8.75	1624	-0.8
14	Jaffray, Joseph	1668	RSA	+37N	=7B	=15N	−6B	=11N	+28B	3.5	17.5	18.5	9.00	1680	+4.4
15	Mwelwa, Palo	0	RSA	+38B	=12N	=14B	=9B	=16N	=25N	3.5	17.0	17.5	9.00	1635	0.0
16	Mtshekexe, Usemhle	1660	RSA	+28B	−20N	+30B	=18N	=15B	=12N	3.5	16.0	18.0	9.75	1728	+13.6
17	Cressey, Ryelee Jordan	1529	RSA	=22N	=11B	=35N	=31B	+19N	=6B	3.5	15.5	16.5	9.75	1662	+28.4
18	Jiki, Sandiso	1621	RSA	+33N	−10B	+36N	=16B	−8N	+29B	3.5	15.0	16.0	6.75	1550	-16.4
19	Mayo, Esinaye	1564	RSA	−4B	+24N	−2B	+23N	−17B	+32N	3.0	18.0	20.0	8.00	1448	-32.0
20	Mureed, Jones	0	RSA	+39N	+16B	−10N	−5B	+31N	−8B	3.0	17.0	17.0	5.50	1538	0.0
21	Magwentshu, Bala	0	RSA	−7N	+37B	−11N	+36B	+26N	−9B	3.0	15.0	16.0	4.50	1553	0.0
22	Swart, Ruan	1556	RSA	=17B	−8N	−27B	=24N	+38B	+37N	3.0	14.0	14.5	4.75	1528	-7.6
23	Boggenpoel, Cole	1423	RSA	−5N	+32N	=26B	−19B	=30N	+35B	3.0	13.5	14.5	5.25	1498	+10.4
24	Van Zyl, Tyler	0	RSA	−6N	−19B	+37N	=22B	=35N	+30B	3.0	13.0	14.0	5.00	1575	0.0
25	Mbewe, Tatenda	1598	RSA	F	=3B	−7N	=8N	+32B	=15B	2.5	18.0	18.0	8.00	1594	-0.4
26	Danglashe, Inga	0	RSA	−1N	+34B	=23N	−13B	−21B	+31N	2.5	17.0	18.5	5.00	1332	0.0
27	Njenjesi, Lukhanyiso	1543	RSA	−30N	=29B	+22N	+35B	−13N	−11B	2.5	14.5	15.5	5.25	1365	-36.8
28	Schoeman, Devan	1505	RSA	−16N	+39B	−6N	=30B	+33N	−14N	2.5	14.5	14.5	2.50	1280	-39.2
29	Mvatyana, Linathi	0	RSA	−9N	=27N	−31B	+34B	+36N	−18N	2.5	13.5	14.5	3.75	1498	0.0
30	Hammond, Anees	1492	RSA	+27B	−9B	−16N	=28N	=23B	−24N	2.0	16.0	18.5	5.25	1499	0.0
31	FIDE 534024808	0	—	−10N	=33B	+29N	=17N	−20B	−26B	2.0	15.0	16.5	5.00	1433	0.0
32	Fourie, Neelon	1460	RSA	−13N	−23B	+33N	+39B	−25N	−19B	2.0	13.5	13.5	1.50	752	-60.4
33	Bijumon, Reshikesh	0	RSA	−18B	=31N	−32B	+38N	−28B	−34N	1.5	11.5	12.0	1.50	729	0.0
34	Vubela, Luvano	0	RSA	−2B	−26N	=38B	−29N	F	+33B	1.5	11.5	11.5	1.75	773	0.0
35	FIDE 14373548	0	—	−3N	F	=17B	−27N	=24B	−23N	1.0	16.5	16.5	3.25	1174	0.0
36	Vorster, Stephan	1450	RSA	−12B	+38N	−18B	−21N	−29B	F	1.0	13.0	13.0	0.50	772	-26.8
37	Schultz, Jade	1673	RSA	−14B	−21N	−24B	F	+39N	−22B	1.0	12.5	12.5	0.00	812	-46.8
38	FIDE 534031863	0	—	−15N	−36B	=34N	−33B	−22N	F	0.5	10.5	10.5	0.75	703	0.0
39	FIDE 534031871	0	—	−20B	−28N	F	−32N	−37B	F	0.0	9.5	9.5	0.00	746	0.0

Key insights

Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.

Top rating gainers

1Powell, DominicRSA
+90.0
4.5 pts · #3
2Bambela, OnakoRSA
+57.6
4.5 pts · #4
3Abrahams, BrandonRSA
+54.0
4.0 pts · #2

Top rating losers

1Fourie, NeelonRSA
-60.4
2.0 pts · #35
2Schultz, JadeRSA
-46.8
1.0 pts · #33
3Booysen, JaitRSA
-46.0
3.5 pts · #26

Biggest upsets

R4+236 Elo gap
Powell, Dominic1487 beat Booysen, Jait1723
R3+227 Elo gap
Powell, Dominic1487 beat CMPeter, Noah1714
R6+150 Elo gap
Bambela, Onako1573 beat Booysen, Jait1723