Lesotho Independence Chess Championship 2025

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42 players participated in this 7-round tournament, held from 04 Oct 2025 to 05 Oct 2025 in Maseru, Lesotho. 3 titled players from 2 federations. Top 10 Elo average was 1736, and top seed was Lebajoa Tsephe (🇱🇸 LES, CM, 1950).

Mphane Thabang (🇱🇸 LES, 1778) won with 5.5/7, ahead of Sechaba Khalema (5.5) and Mokhameleli Mohale (5.5).

The biggest upset came in round 1: Moorosi Thato (1448) beat Siyabonga Sibeko (1754), a +306-point gap.

Location

🇱🇸Maseru, Lesotho

Dates

04 Oct 2025 → 05 Oct 2025

Time control

Standard: 65 minutes for game

System

Swiss · 7 rounds

Avg top 10

1,736

Participants

Titled players · 3

CM×3

Federations · 2 represented

🇱🇸Lesotho×29

🇸🇿Eswatini×1

Top 3

🥇
Mphane Thabang
🇱🇸LES·1778
5.5pts·1999perf+18.2
🥈
Sechaba Khalema
🇱🇸LES·1793
5.5pts·1888perf+12.6
🥉
Mokhameleli Mohale
🇱🇸LES·1651
5.5pts·1959perf+32.4

How it unfolded

Top 6 · 7 rounds

Tight race until R7; 3 players tied at 5.5/7, decided on Buchholz.

Co-leaders

Khalema5.5Thabang5.5Mohale5.5Motlomelo5Pofane5Libe5

R6 · LEADER CHANGE04 Oct

CM Lebajoa Tsephe takes the sole lead (5.5/6).

R7 · TIEBREAK CLUSTER

3 players finish on 5.5/7. Thabang takes the title on Buchholz Cut1 (24.0).

R6 · HEAD-TO-HEAD · WINNER VS 2ND

Sechaba Khalema lost to Mphane Thabang (White).

Key matchups · top 4

Head-to-head between the four finishers

Player	1	2	3	4
1Sechaba Khalema	*	0	—	1
2Mphane Thabang	1	*	½	—
3Mokhameleli Mohale	—	½	*	—
4CMLihloela Motlomelo	0	—	—	*

Grille américaine

#	Player	Elo	Fed	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	Pts	Bu C1	Bu	SB	Perf	Δ
1	Thabang, Mphane	1778	LES	+29N	+31B	−?B	+5N	+12B	+2N	=3B	5.5	24.0	24.0	21.25	1999	+18.2
2	Khalema, Sechaba	1793	LES	+42N	+10B	+9N	=?N	+4B	−1B	+7N	5.5	23.0	23.0	17.50	1888	+12.6
3	Mokhameleli Mohale	1651	LES	−?B	+37N	+31B	+14N	+?B	+11B	=1N	5.5	17.0	17.0	14.25	1959	+32.4
4	Motlomelo, LihloelaCM	1760	LES	+19N	+35B	=?N	+8B	−2N	=7B	+10N	5.0	24.0	24.0	16.25	1769	+3.8
5	Matlali Pofane	1532	LES	+34N	−?B	+33N	−1B	+8N	+22B	+9N	5.0	21.0	21.0	15.50	1907	+76.4
6	Libe, Sofonea	1680	LES	+22N	+21B	+?N	−?N	+18B	−?B	+11N	5.0	13.5	13.5	13.50	2554	+12.0
7	Lekau, Ramokotjo	1713	LES	+27B	+41N	−?B	+25N	+17B	=4N	−2B	4.5	21.0	21.0	13.00	1584	-6.4
8	Ntsonyana, Bahlakoana	1717	LES	+32N	+33B	=?B	−4N	−5B	+29N	+27B	4.5	18.5	18.5	8.50	847	-23.6
9	Moketa, Lira	1693	LES	+23B	+17N	−2B	−18N	+32B	+13N	−5B	4.0	25.0	27.0	13.00	1466	-17.2
10	Bokang, Nthole	1418	LES	+15B	−2N	−14B	+27N	+39B	+12N	−4B	4.0	25.0	26.5	12.00	1618	+24.4
11	Siyabonga Sibeko	1754	LES	−13B	+42N	+18B	+29N	+16B	−3N	−6B	4.0	24.0	24.0	9.50	1402	-36.2
12	Joang MolapoCM	1675	LES	+26N	−?N	+30B	+20B	−1N	−10B	+18N	4.0	21.5	21.5	12.00	1472	-15.8
13	Moorosi Thato	1448	LES	+11N	−?N	+26B	−?B	+21N	−9B	+23N	4.0	17.0	17.0	13.00	1662	+20.8
14	Tumelo Putsoa	0	LES	+30N	−34B	+10N	−3B	+31N	+?B	−?N	4.0	15.5	15.5	8.00	1611	0.0
15	Leloko Mokhameleli	0	LES	−10N	−20B	+?N	+42B	−?N	+21B	+22N	4.0	13.5	13.5	6.00	731	0.0
16	Tsepo Tjamela	1598	LES	−?N	+38B	+40N	+21B	−11N	+24B	−?N	4.0	12.5	12.5	8.50	954	-5.8
17	Thabang Serero	0	LES	+36N	−9B	+?N	+?B	−7N	−?B	+29N	4.0	12.5	12.5	4.00	1616	0.0
18	Thabang Nate	0	LES	+38N	+?B	−11N	+9B	−6N	=20B	−12B	3.5	22.0	22.0	7.25	1601	0.0
19	Pontso Makhebesela	1459	LES	−4B	−25N	−27B	=37N	+38B	+28N	+39B	3.5	16.0	17.5	6.25	960	-6.0
20	Boitumelo Sethabathaba	1597	LES	−?B	+15N	+41B	−12N	+25B	=18N	−?B	3.5	15.5	15.5	9.75	875	-7.8
21	FIDE 21305447	0	—	+28B	−6N	+42B	−16N	−13B	−15N	+30B	3.0	21.5	21.5	4.50	775	0.0
22	Atlehang Petlane	0	LES	−6B	−32B	+36N	+30N	+29B	−5N	−15B	3.0	20.0	22.0	6.00	807	0.0
23	FIDE 21305390	0	—	−9N	−29B	+28B	F	+35N	+30N	−13B	3.0	17.5	19.5	6.50	709	0.0
24	Abele Mokoma	0	LES	−?B	+27N	−34N	F	+26B	−16N	+25B	3.0	17.5	17.5	8.50	858	0.0
25	Lenyane, Tau	0	LES	−?N	+19B	+?N	−7B	−20N	+32B	−24N	3.0	16.5	16.5	5.50	1518	0.0
26	Tsatsi Tsepo	0	LES	−12B	F	−13N	+40B	−24N	+?B	+?N	3.0	12.0	12.0	1.00	1531	0.0
27	Thabang Maboloka	0	LES	−7N	−24B	+19N	−10B	+40N	=?B	−8N	2.5	20.5	20.5	4.50	1433	0.0
28	Lebajoa Mohobane	0	LES	−21N	−?B	−23N	+38B	=?N	−19B	+35N	2.5	13.0	13.0	3.50	1221	0.0
29	Batloung Lesela	0	LES	−1B	+23N	+?N	−11B	−22N	−8B	−17B	2.0	24.0	24.0	3.00	1538	0.0
30	FIDE 21304149	0	—	−14B	+?N	−12N	−22B	+36N	−23B	−21N	2.0	19.0	19.0	2.00	875	0.0
31	FIDE 21305366	0	—	+37B	−1N	−3N	+?B	−14B	−?N	−33B	2.0	18.5	18.5	1.50	915	0.0
32	Gugushe Mongezi	0	LES	−8B	+22N	−?B	F	−9N	−25N	+?B	2.0	15.5	15.5	3.00	830	0.0
33	FIDE 21305439	0	—	F	−8N	−5B	−?B	−?N	+40B	+31N	2.0	12.5	12.5	3.00	808	0.0
34	Dlamini SimphiweCM	1794	SWZ	−5B	+14N	+24B	F	F	F	F	2.0	12.0	12.0	7.00	733	-16.4
35	FIDE 21305498	0	—	+?B	−4N	−?B	−39N	−23B	+?N	−28B	2.0	12.0	12.0	0.00	872	0.0
36	FIDE 21305412	0	—	−17B	−?N	−22B	+?N	−30B	−?N	+42N	2.0	9.0	9.0	0.00	803	0.0
37	Junior Rasephei	0	LES	−31N	−3B	=38N	=19B	F	=39N	−?B	1.5	15.0	15.0	3.25	1298	0.0
38	FIDE 21303932	0	—	−18B	−16N	=37B	−28N	−19N	+42B	−?N	1.5	15.0	15.0	0.75	693	0.0
39	FIDE 21305374	0	—	−?N	−40B	F	+35B	−10N	=37B	−19N	1.5	12.0	12.0	2.75	718	0.0
40	FIDE 21305323	0	—	−41B	+39N	−16B	−26N	−27B	−33N	−?B	1.0	14.0	14.0	1.50	798	0.0
41	FIDE 21304289	0	—	+40N	−7B	−20N	F	F	F	F	1.0	12.5	12.5	1.00	855	0.0
42	FIDE 21305463	0	—	−2B	−11B	−21N	−15N	−?B	−38N	−36B	0.0	20.0	20.0	0.00	974	0.0

Key insights

Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.

Top rating gainers

1Matlali PofaneLES
+76.4
5.0 pts · #4
2Mokhameleli MohaleLES
+32.4
5.5 pts · #10
3Bokang, NtholeLES
+24.4
4.0 pts · #13

Top rating losers

1Siyabonga SibekoLES
-36.2
4.0 pts · #16
2Ntsonyana, BahlakoanaLES
-23.6
4.5 pts · #31
3Moketa, LiraLES
-17.2
4.0 pts · #18

Biggest upsets

R1+306 Elo gap
Moorosi Thato1448 beat Siyabonga Sibeko1754
R1+262 Elo gap
Matlali Pofane1532 beat CMDlamini Simphiwe1794
R6+257 Elo gap
Bokang, Nthole1418 beat CMJoang Molapo1675