Buffalo City Chess Clubs League 2025 (A)
37 players participated in this 5-round tournament, held from 20 Sept 2025 to 27 Sept 2025 in East London, South Africa. 2 federations represented. Top 10 Elo average was 1727, and top seed was Chenyi Lin (🇿🇦 RSA, 2039).
Takudzwa Sibanda (🇿🇦 RSA, 1784) won with 5.0/5, ahead of Chenyi Lin (4.5) and Xhanti Mafongosi (4.5). Sibanda broke clear in the final round.
The biggest upset came in round 4: Siyolise August (1413) beat Elowo Ngewu (1618), a +205-point gap.
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How it unfolded
Top 6 · 5 roundsTakudzwa Sibanda led from R5; +0.5-point edge over the runner-up. Title race converged from 2 co-leaders at R4 to 1 by R5.
Takudzwa Sibanda held the sole lead from R5 through R5 without losing it.
Takudzwa Sibanda 5 wins (R1–R5)Chenyi Lin 3 wins (R3–R5)
Key matchups · top 4
Head-to-head between the four finishers| Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Takudzwa Sibanda | * | — | — | — |
| 2Chenyi Lin | — | * | — | 1 |
| 3Xhanti Mafongosi | — | — | * | — |
| 4Onako Nkuzo | — | 0 | — | * |
Grille américaine
| # | Player | Elo | Fed | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | Pts | Bu C1 | Bu | SB | Perf | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sibanda, Takudzwa | 1784 | RSA | +16N | +7B | +6N | +30N | +28B | 5.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 8.00 | 2424 | +23.2 |
| 2 | Lin, Chenyi | 2039 | RSA | +26B | =15N | +4B | +12B | +10N | 4.5 | 9.5 | 10.0 | 9.25 | 2027 | +0.4 |
| 3 | Mafongosi, Xhanti | 1673 | RSA | +30B | +9B | =27N | +11N | +31B | 4.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.25 | 2392 | +15.6 |
| 4 | Nkuzo, Onako | 1750 | RSA | +17N | +10B | −2N | +15B | +19N | 4.0 | 9.5 | 10.5 | 6.00 | 1974 | +45.2 |
| 5 | Mbewe, Tatenda | 1598 | RSA | +32N | +34B | +8N | +33B | F | 4.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.00 | 2407 | +20.4 |
| 6 | Scheepers, Storm | 1626 | RSA | =18B | =29N | −1B | +7N | +16B | 3.0 | 11.0 | 11.5 | 5.50 | 1616 | -1.2 |
| 7 | Maza, Okuhle | 1622 | RSA | +22N | −1N | +29B | −6B | +35N | 3.0 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 1.50 | 1492 | -21.2 |
| 8 | CHIDZIWA LIBERTY | 0 | ZIM | +?B | +13N | −5B | F | +?N | 3.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 2.00 | 797 | 0.0 |
| 9 | Yantolo, Monwabisi | 0 | RSA | +?B | −3N | −?B | +?N | +?B | 3.0 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 0.00 | 1466 | 0.0 |
| 10 | Mafanya, Kulasande | 1844 | RSA | F | −4N | +15B | +19N | −2B | 2.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 2.50 | 1694 | -12.2 |
| 11 | Howe, Andrew | 1592 | RSA | +24B | F | F | −3B | +21N | 2.0 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 2.00 | 1543 | -4.8 |
| 12 | Mjanyana, Kazimla | 0 | RSA | −15N | +31B | +26B | −2N | F | 2.0 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 0.50 | 1054 | 0.0 |
| 13 | FIDE 534016244 | 0 | — | +20B | −8B | F | −?B | +?N | 2.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 1.00 | 1477 | 0.0 |
| 14 | Ndlebe, Anda | 1641 | RSA | F | F | F | +20B | +27N | 2.0 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.50 | 2230 | +9.2 |
| 15 | Racaza, Sinovuyo | 1671 | RSA | +12B | =2B | −10N | −4N | −23B | 1.5 | 12.5 | 13.5 | 4.25 | 1488 | -17.0 |
| 16 | Beshe, Akhanye | 0 | RSA | −1B | +18N | −22B | =28N | −6N | 1.5 | 10.5 | 11.0 | 1.75 | 904 | 0.0 |
| 17 | Bambela, Onako | 1573 | RSA | −4B | =26N | +23N | F | F | 1.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 1.25 | 1678 | +10.8 |
| 18 | Nantuse, Lihle | 0 | RSA | =6N | −16B | +?B | F | F | 1.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 1.50 | 1625 | 0.0 |
| 19 | FIDE 534032380 | 0 | — | F | +32B | F | −10B | −4B | 1.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 0.00 | 997 | 0.0 |
| 20 | Mpitikezi, Thembelani | 1431 | RSA | −13N | F | +21N | −14N | F | 1.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 1.00 | 1527 | +10.0 |
| 21 | August, Siyolise | 1413 | RSA | −25B | −24N | −20B | +36B | −11B | 1.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 0.00 | 1421 | +0.4 |
| 22 | FIDE 14376300 | 0 | — | −7B | −?N | +16N | F | F | 1.0 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 1.50 | 822 | 0.0 |
| 23 | Marcus, Tamsanqa | 1605 | RSA | F | F | −17B | F | +15N | 1.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 1.50 | 1621 | +2.0 |
| 24 | FIDE 14385406 | 0 | — | −11N | +21B | F | F | F | 1.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 1.00 | 1503 | 0.0 |
| 25 | Willem, Mawande | 0 | RSA | +21N | −?B | −?N | F | F | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.00 | 1380 | 0.0 |
| 26 | Mahobe, Bahle | 0 | RSA | −2N | =17B | −12N | F | F | 0.5 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 0.75 | 1613 | 0.0 |
| 27 | Cewuka, Lunje | 0 | RSA | F | −?B | =3B | F | −14B | 0.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 2.25 | 1358 | 0.0 |
| 28 | Makananda, Kungawo | 0 | RSA | F | F | F | =16B | −1N | 0.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 0.75 | 983 | -18.4 |
| 29 | Mzizi, Olwethu | 1444 | RSA | F | =6B | −7N | F | F | 0.5 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 1.50 | 1431 | -0.4 |
| 30 | Rala, Yonwaba | 0 | RSA | −3N | F | −?B | −1B | F | 0.0 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 0.00 | 928 | 0.0 |
| 31 | FIDE 14340712 | 0 | — | F | −12N | F | F | −3N | 0.0 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 0.00 | 873 | 0.0 |
| 32 | FIDE 14384736 | 0 | — | −5B | −19N | F | F | F | 0.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 0.00 | 797 | 0.0 |
| 33 | Botha, Tyler | 1607 | RSA | F | F | F | −5N | F | 0.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 0.00 | 797 | -20.4 |
| 34 | FIDE 534020829 | 0 | — | F | −5N | −?N | F | F | 0.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 0.00 | 760 | 0.0 |
| 35 | FIDE 14357178 | 0 | — | F | F | F | F | −7B | 0.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 0.00 | 822 | 0.0 |
| 36 | Ngewu, Elowo | 1618 | RSA | F | F | F | −21N | F | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.00 | 613 | -30.4 |
| 37 | FIDE 534020730 | 0 | — | −?B | −?N | F | F | F | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.00 | 815 | 0.0 |
Key insights
Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.
- 1Nkuzo, OnakoRSA+45.24.0 pts · #1
- 2Sibanda, TakudzwaRSA+23.25.0 pts · #3
- 3Mbewe, TatendaRSA+20.44.0 pts · #11
- 1Ngewu, ElowoRSA-30.40.0 pts · #31
- 2Maza, OkuhleRSA-21.23.0 pts · #15
- 3Botha, TylerRSA-20.40.0 pts · #24
- R4+205 Elo gap