UCT OPEN CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP 2025 (Advanced)

Open SwissStandard

53 players participated in this 6-round tournament, held from 10 Oct 2025 to 12 Oct 2025 in Cape Town, South Africa. Top 10 Elo average was 1709, and top seed was Jacobus Solomon (🇿🇦 RSA, 1766).

Wade De Kock (🇿🇦 RSA, 1679) won with 5.0/6, ahead of Nkanyiso Mthethwa (5.0) and Blessing Hlongwane (5.0). De Kock shared the lead from round 4, winning on tie-break.

The biggest upset came in round 3: Feraydo Adolf (1546) beat Jacobus Solomon (1766), a +220-point gap.

Location

🇿🇦Cape Town, South Africa

Dates

10 Oct 2025 → 12 Oct 2025

Time control

Standard: 60 minutes with 30 seconds increment from move 1

System

Swiss · 6 rounds

Top seed

🇿🇦Jacobus Solomon1766

Avg top 10

1,709

Participants

Federations · 1 represented

🇿🇦South Africa×48

Top 3

🥇
Wade De Kock
🇿🇦RSA·1679
5.0pts·1892perf+35.6
🥈
Nkanyiso Mthethwa
🇿🇦RSA·1692
5.0pts·1867perf+21.4
🥉
Blessing Hlongwane
🇿🇦RSA·1676
5.0pts·1885perf+58.8

How it unfolded

Top 6 · 6 rounds

Tight race until R6; 3 players tied at 5.0/6, decided on Buchholz. Title race narrowed from 3 co-leaders at R4 to 3 at the finish.

Co-leaders

Hlongwane5Mthethwa5De Kock5Kruse4.5Dubbeld4.5Schuller4.5

R6 · TIEBREAK CLUSTER

3 players finish on 5.0/6. De Kock takes the title on Buchholz Cut1 (19.5).

WIN STREAKS · 2 top finishers

Blessing Hlongwane 3 wins (R1–R3)Nkanyiso Mthethwa 3 wins (R1–R3)

Key matchups · top 4

Head-to-head between the four finishers

Player	1	2	3	4
1Blessing Hlongwane	*	—	—	—
2Nkanyiso Mthethwa	—	*	½	—
3Wade De Kock	—	½	*	1
4Michael Kruse	—	—	0	*

Grille américaine

#	Player	Elo	Fed	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	Pts	Bu C1	Bu	SB	Perf	Δ
1	De Kock, Wade	1679	RSA	+52N	+10B	=33N	+15B	+4N	=2B	5.0	19.5	20.0	16.25	1892	+35.6
2	Mthethwa, Nkanyiso	1692	RSA	+49B	+27N	+7B	=14N	+25B	=1N	5.0	18.5	19.5	15.25	1867	+21.4
3	Hlongwane, Blessing	1676	RSA	+31B	+34N	+24B	−25N	+23B	+9N	5.0	16.0	18.5	15.50	1885	+58.8
4	Kruse, Michael	1664	RSA	+41B	=8N	+11B	+26N	−1B	+14N	4.5	19.5	21.5	14.50	1811	+30.0
5	Dubbeld, Benjamin	1509	RSA	−17N	+42B	=22N	+29B	+15N	+18B	4.5	16.5	18.5	13.50	1713	+32.4
6	Schuller, Ashley	1736	RSA	+40B	=23N	−26B	+39B	+33N	+16N	4.5	14.0	16.0	11.50	1547	-14.6
7	Wolff, Ludwig	0	RSA	F	+17B	−2N	+20B	+28N	+25B	4.0	18.0	18.0	13.00	1673	0.0
8	Lenting, Kent	0	RSA	+35N	=4B	+29N	=17B	=14B	=23N	4.0	17.5	20.0	12.75	1623	0.0
9	Budge, Daniel	1744	RSA	+16N	+22B	−25N	+43B	+27N	−3B	4.0	17.5	19.5	11.50	1667	-9.6
10	Nzimande, Elihle	1440	RSA	+44B	−1N	=34B	+19N	=24B	+22B	4.0	17.0	19.0	11.25	1637	+40.8
11	Jonkers, Tristan	1485	RSA	=18N	+36B	−4N	=22B	+35N	+28B	4.0	16.5	19.0	11.25	1720	+49.6
12	Somai, Ruhan	1519	RSA	−14B	+53N	+13B	−28N	+32B	+24N	4.0	16.5	17.0	10.50	1732	+57.2
13	Zweigenthal, Daniel	1691	RSA	+45N	−33B	−12N	+47B	+39N	+27B	4.0	13.0	14.0	7.50	1711	+3.6
14	Matogo, Dennis	1732	RSA	+12N	+20B	=15N	=2B	=8N	−4B	3.5	21.0	24.5	13.75	1716	-3.6
15	Underwood, Alexander	0	RSA	+?B	+21N	=14B	−1N	−5B	+37N	3.5	19.0	19.0	7.75	1623	0.0
16	Majiba, Khanyisile	1534	RSA	−9B	+30N	+21B	=24N	+17N	−6B	3.5	18.5	21.5	11.50	1609	+19.2
17	Resnekov, Oliver	1522	RSA	+5B	−7N	+40B	=8N	−16B	+34N	3.5	18.5	20.5	11.00	1672	+24.0
18	Baron, Dylan	1711	RSA	=11B	+19N	−23B	+34N	+26B	−5N	3.5	18.0	20.5	11.00	1617	-27.6
19	Mansfield-Scaddan, Sefton	1660	RSA	=36N	−18B	+45N	−10B	+38N	+33B	3.5	15.0	16.5	7.75	1423	-37.2
20	Mhembere, Munashe	1607	RSA	+53B	−14N	+48B	−7N	+30B	=21N	3.5	15.0	15.5	6.25	1388	-11.2
21	Liu, Amy	1429	RSA	+39N	−15B	−16N	+49B	+43N	=20B	3.5	14.5	15.5	6.75	1643	+45.2
22	Engelbrecht, Deoren	0	RSA	+30B	−9N	=5B	=11N	+31B	−10N	3.0	19.5	22.5	10.25	1474	0.0
23	Maruma, Kamogelo	1531	RSA	F	=6B	+18N	+33B	−3N	=8B	3.0	19.5	19.5	10.25	1708	+27.6
24	Brown, John-Rodney	1612	RSA	+38N	+50B	−3N	=16B	=10N	−12B	3.0	19.0	20.0	7.25	1349	-55.2
25	Mangoro, Richard	1636	RSA	F	+48N	+9B	+3B	−2N	−7N	3.0	19.0	19.0	10.00	1829	+15.8
26	Lay, Oliver	1576	RSA	+42N	=29B	+6N	−4B	−18N	=35B	3.0	18.0	20.0	9.25	1559	-5.6
27	Radien, Ganief	1585	RSA	+51N	−2B	+50N	+35B	−9B	−13N	3.0	16.5	17.5	4.50	1467	-24.0
28	Ashworth, Dylan Adrian	1609	RSA	−50N	+38B	+47N	+12B	−7B	−11N	3.0	15.5	16.5	7.50	1618	+1.2
29	Snyman, Mila Marie	1533	RSA	+47B	=26N	−8B	−5N	=40N	+41B	3.0	15.5	16.5	5.50	1520	-2.0
30	Booley, Sayed Ridha	0	RSA	−22N	−16B	+42N	+52B	−20N	+39B	3.0	14.0	14.5	4.50	1398	0.0
31	Matthee, Connor	1553	RSA	−3N	+46B	−35N	+50B	−22N	+48B	3.0	13.0	14.0	3.50	795	-35.2
32	Dlamini, Njabulo	1655	RSA	F	F	+36N	+48B	−12N	+47B	3.0	9.5	10.5	4.50	1497	-16.8
33	Carelse, Reginald Stephen	0	RSA	+37B	+13N	=1B	−23N	−6B	−19N	2.5	20.0	22.5	9.00	1620	0.0
34	Budge, Benjamin	1598	RSA	+46N	−3B	=10N	−18B	+36N	−17B	2.5	18.5	20.0	6.00	1265	-62.0
35	Klopper, Ben	1514	RSA	−8B	+49N	+31B	−27N	−11B	=26N	2.5	17.0	18.0	5.50	1540	+7.6
36	FIDE 14363895	0	—	=19B	−11N	−32B	+?N	−34B	+40N	2.5	15.0	15.0	3.75	1277	0.0
37	Solomon, Jacobus	1766	RSA	−33N	+45B	−43N	=40B	+41N	−15B	2.5	12.0	13.5	4.50	1519	-24.4
38	Gwanzura, Kevin	0	RSA	−24B	−28N	=?B	+53N	−19B	+46N	2.5	11.5	11.5	2.00	827	0.0
39	Meissenheimer, Kyle	0	RSA	−21B	+?N	+44B	−6N	−13B	−30N	2.0	17.0	17.0	2.00	819	0.0
40	Van Heerden, Nina	0	RSA	−6N	+51B	−17N	=37N	=29B	−36B	2.0	16.0	17.0	3.75	1446	0.0
41	FIDE 534033106	0	—	−4N	−43B	+51N	+44N	−37B	−29N	2.0	14.0	15.0	3.00	827	0.0
42	Vengeni, Asanda	0	RSA	−26B	−5N	−30B	=46B	+52N	=45N	2.0	13.5	14.0	2.00	1414	0.0
43	Adolf, Feraydo	1546	RSA	F	+41N	+37B	−9N	−21B	F	2.0	13.0	13.0	4.50	1521	-4.8
44	Ramonyaluoe, Madalitso	0	RSA	−10N	+52B	−39N	−41B	−47N	+51B	2.0	10.0	10.5	1.50	1322	0.0
45	Gebu, Sisipho	1492	RSA	−13B	−37N	−19B	+51N	−48N	=42B	1.5	13.0	14.0	2.00	906	-27.6
46	FIDE 534033114	0	—	−34B	−31N	−49B	=42N	+53B	−38B	1.5	11.0	11.5	1.50	752	0.0
47	Makhasi, Athule	1475	RSA	−29N	F	−28B	−13N	+44B	−32N	1.0	16.0	18.0	2.00	822	-48.8
48	Shelton, Brian	0	RSA	F	−25B	−20N	−32N	+45B	−31N	1.0	15.5	17.0	1.50	1349	0.0
49	Solomon, William C.	1504	RSA	−2N	−35B	+46N	−21N	F	F	1.0	14.5	15.5	1.50	745	-54.0
50	Kolberg, Unathi	0	RSA	+28B	−24N	−27B	−31N	F	F	1.0	13.0	13.0	3.00	1397	0.0
51	FIDE 14358905	0	—	−27B	−40N	−41B	−45B	+?N	−44N	1.0	10.5	10.5	0.00	739	0.0
52	Srivastava, Prakhar	1427	RSA	−1B	−44N	=53B	−30N	−42B	F	0.5	12.5	12.5	0.25	879	-7.6
53	FIDE 14351862	0	—	−20N	−12B	=52N	−38B	−46N	−?B	0.5	12.0	12.0	0.25	1245	0.0

Key insights

Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.

Top rating gainers

1Hlongwane, BlessingRSA
+58.8
5.0 pts · #1
2Somai, RuhanRSA
+57.2
4.0 pts · #7
3Jonkers, TristanRSA
+49.6
4.0 pts · #11

Top rating losers

1Budge, BenjaminRSA
-62.0
2.5 pts · #40
2Brown, John-RodneyRSA
-55.2
3.0 pts · #33
3Solomon, William C.RSA
-54.0
1.0 pts · #48

Biggest upsets

R3+220 Elo gap
Adolf, Feraydo1546 beat Solomon, Jacobus1766
R4+220 Elo gap
Nzimande, Elihle1440 beat Mansfield-Scaddan, Sefton1660
R6+202 Elo gap
Dubbeld, Benjamin1509 beat Baron, Dylan1711