2025 Mzansi Individual Championships (U20 Open)
36 players participated in this 6-round tournament, held from 17 Dec 2025 to 20 Dec 2025 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. 1 titled players from 2 federations. Top 10 Elo average was 1749, and top seed was Raynier Claassen (🇿🇦 RSA, 2035).
Raynier Claassen (🇿🇦 RSA, 2035) won with 5.5/6, ahead of Neathan Peter (5.5) and Michael Berndt (5.0). Claassen shared the lead from round 1, winning on tie-break.
The biggest upset came in round 3: Darren Van Staaden (1595) beat Siboniso Mini (1779), a +184-point gap.
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How it unfolded
Top 6 · 6 roundsTight race until R6; 2 players tied at 5.5/6, decided on Buchholz. Title race narrowed from 2 co-leaders at R4 to 2 at the finish.
2 players finish on 5.5/6. Claassen takes the title on Buchholz Cut1 (21.5).
Raynier Claassen drew with CM Neathan Peter (White).
Raynier Claassen 4 wins (R1–R4)CM Neathan Peter 4 wins (R1–R4)Michael Berndt 3 wins (R1–R3)
Key matchups · top 4
Head-to-head between the four finishers| Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Raynier Claassen | * | ½ | 1 | 1 |
| 2CMNeathan Peter | ½ | * | — | 1 |
| 3Michael Berndt | 0 | — | * | — |
| 4Jacob Tlaka | 0 | 0 | — | * |
Grille américaine
| # | Player | Elo | Fed | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | Pts | Bu C1 | Bu | SB | Perf | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Claassen, Raynier | 2035 | RSA | +21B | +10N | +9B | +3N | =2B | +4N | 5.5 | 21.5 | 24.5 | 21.75 | 2084 | +11.2 |
| 2 | Peter, NeathanCM | 1969 | RSA | +33N | +7B | +12N | +4B | =1N | +5B | 5.5 | 21.0 | 21.5 | 18.75 | 2028 | +7.0 |
| 3 | Berndt, Michael | 1647 | RSA | +25B | +23N | +15B | −1B | +16N | +9N | 5.0 | 18.0 | 20.5 | 15.00 | 1873 | +31.6 |
| 4 | Tlaka, Jacob | 0 | RSA | +31B | +13B | +6N | −2N | +11B | −1B | 4.0 | 22.0 | 23.0 | 12.00 | 1850 | 0.0 |
| 5 | Van Staaden, Darren | 1595 | RSA | =18N | +17B | +11B | =6N | +24B | −2N | 4.0 | 19.0 | 21.5 | 12.50 | 1866 | +26.4 |
| 6 | Lagardien, Ismaeel | 1834 | RSA | +8B | +28N | −4B | =5B | =7N | +17B | 4.0 | 19.0 | 21.0 | 13.00 | 1818 | -0.6 |
| 7 | Jele, Nkosikhona | 0 | RSA | +24B | −2N | +35B | =9N | =6B | +15N | 4.0 | 18.5 | 18.5 | 9.25 | 1711 | 0.0 |
| 8 | Matulizo, Daniel | 0 | RSA | −6N | +30B | −19N | +33B | +18N | +16B | 4.0 | 14.0 | 14.5 | 7.50 | 1534 | -52.0 |
| 9 | Van Vreede, Ethan | 1705 | RSA | +32N | +16B | −1N | =7B | +26N | −3B | 3.5 | 20.0 | 21.0 | 8.50 | 1675 | -7.2 |
| 10 | Perring, Mekhail | 1539 | RSA | F | −1B | +20N | =13B | +12N | +19B | 3.5 | 18.5 | 18.5 | 11.25 | 1812 | +34.6 |
| 11 | Mini, Siboniso | 1779 | RSA | =17N | +20B | −5N | +14B | −4N | +26B | 3.5 | 17.5 | 20.0 | 10.50 | 1736 | -8.4 |
| 12 | Mathe, Thabang | 1558 | RSA | +26B | +35N | −2B | =15N | −10B | +20B | 3.5 | 17.5 | 17.5 | 7.00 | 1688 | +11.4 |
| 13 | Goliath, Brimarion | 1647 | RSA | +36B | −4N | +23B | =10N | =15B | =24N | 3.5 | 16.0 | 16.0 | 7.50 | 1706 | +2.8 |
| 14 | Mella, Emorej | 1585 | RSA | −15B | +34N | =26B | −11N | +25B | +27N | 3.5 | 14.0 | 14.5 | 6.75 | 1711 | +26.4 |
| 15 | Sithole, Trywell | 0 | RSA | +14N | +19B | −3N | =12B | =13N | −7B | 3.0 | 19.5 | 22.5 | 10.00 | 1635 | 0.0 |
| 16 | Brewis, Sienna | 0 | RSA | +22B | −9N | +29B | +25N | −3B | −8N | 3.0 | 18.0 | 19.0 | 6.50 | 1635 | 0.0 |
| 17 | Mangcotwya, Lihle | 1508 | RSA | =11B | −5N | +27B | =22N | +23B | −6N | 3.0 | 17.5 | 20.0 | 8.75 | 1519 | +0.8 |
| 18 | Nkumbi, Lutho | 0 | RSA | =5B | −22N | =21B | +29N | −8B | +28N | 3.0 | 16.0 | 17.0 | 6.50 | 1611 | 0.0 |
| 19 | Ntsunguzi, Siyamamkela | 1635 | FID | +34B | −15N | +8B | −24N | +21B | −10N | 3.0 | 16.0 | 16.5 | 7.50 | 1661 | +2.0 |
| 20 | Manyane, Kgothatso | 0 | RSA | +29B | −11N | −10B | +28N | +22B | −12N | 3.0 | 15.5 | 16.5 | 6.00 | 1605 | +20.8 |
| 21 | Laubscher, Enrico | 0 | RSA | −1N | =27B | =18N | +30B | −19N | +33B | 3.0 | 15.0 | 15.5 | 4.25 | 1593 | -6.8 |
| 22 | Williams, Elegeaux | 1641 | RSA | −16N | +18B | =25N | =17B | −20N | +32B | 3.0 | 14.5 | 15.5 | 6.75 | 1390 | -20.4 |
| 23 | Van Aswegen, Juandre | 0 | RSA | +30N | −3B | −13N | +35B | −17N | +29B | 3.0 | 13.5 | 13.5 | 2.00 | 1400 | 0.0 |
| 24 | Jezile, Aphelele | 0 | RSA | −7N | F | +28B | +19B | −5N | =13B | 2.5 | 16.5 | 16.5 | 6.75 | 1623 | 0.0 |
| 25 | Swindell, Reese | 1506 | RSA | −3N | +31N | =22B | −16B | −14N | +35B | 2.5 | 15.5 | 15.5 | 2.50 | 1532 | +5.2 |
| 26 | Mushweu, Gundo | 0 | RSA | −12N | +33B | =14N | +31B | −9B | −11N | 2.5 | 15.0 | 15.5 | 3.25 | 1566 | -49.6 |
| 27 | Jerling, Waven | 0 | RSA | −28B | =21N | −17N | +34B | +30N | −14B | 2.5 | 12.5 | 13.0 | 3.00 | 1390 | 0.0 |
| 28 | Budge, Benjamin | 1536 | RSA | +27N | −6B | −24N | −20B | +34N | −18B | 2.0 | 15.0 | 15.5 | 3.00 | 1486 | -10.0 |
| 29 | Ndzothoyi, Asekho | 1574 | RSA | −20N | +32B | −16N | −18B | F | −23N | 1.0 | 13.0 | 14.0 | 1.00 | 736 | -22.0 |
| 30 | Khoza, Hanyani | 0 | RSA | −23B | −8N | F | −21N | −27B | +34N | 1.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 0.50 | 1536 | 0.0 |
| 31 | Gcwabe, Othandwayo | 1602 | RSA | −4N | −25B | +32N | −26N | F | F | 1.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 1.00 | 810 | -19.4 |
| 32 | FIDE 534017941 | 0 | — | −9B | −29N | −31B | F | +35N | −22N | 1.0 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 0.00 | 830 | 0.0 |
| 33 | Kopano, Mogadime | 1511 | RSA | −2B | −26N | =34B | −8N | F | −21N | 0.5 | 15.5 | 15.5 | 0.25 | 1353 | -30.4 |
| 34 | Botha, Qwin | 1466 | RSA | −19N | −14B | =33N | −27N | −28B | −30B | 0.5 | 12.0 | 12.5 | 0.25 | 1244 | -37.6 |
| 35 | FIDE 534039651 | 0 | — | F | −12B | −7N | −23N | −32B | −25N | 0.0 | 14.0 | 14.0 | 0.00 | 733 | 0.0 |
| 36 | Mahomed, Ihsaan | 1494 | RSA | −13N | F | F | F | F | F | 0.0 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 0.00 | 847 | -5.8 |
Key insights
Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.
- 1Perring, MekhailRSA+34.63.5 pts · #3
- 2Berndt, MichaelRSA+31.65.0 pts · #15
- 3Van Staaden, DarrenRSA+26.44.0 pts · #10
- 1Matulizo, DanielRSA-52.04.0 pts · #22
- 2Mushweu, GundoRSA-49.62.5 pts · #12
- 3Botha, QwinRSA-37.60.5 pts · #30
- R3+184 Elo gap