2025 NATIONAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP
Open SwissStandard
30 players participated in this 9-round tournament, held from 19 Dec 2025 to 22 Dec 2025 in Mzuzu, Malawi. 7 titled players. Top 10 Elo average was 2037, and top seed was Joseph Mwale (🇲🇼 MAW, FM, 2272).
Joseph Mwale (🇲🇼 MAW, FM, 2272) won with 7.0/9, ahead of George Mwale (6.5) and Joseph Xavier Nyambalo (6.5). Mwale won solo starting round 4.
The biggest upset came in round 8: George Mwale (CM, 2023) beat Joseph Mwale (FM, 2272), a +249-point gap.
Location
🇲🇼Mzuzu, Malawi
Dates
19 Dec 2025 → 22 Dec 2025
Time control
Standard: 90 minutes for the whole game
System
Swiss · 9 rounds
Titled players · 7
FM×2
CM×5
Federations · 1 represented
🇲🇼Malawi×30
Top 3
- 🥇
- 🥈
- 🥉
How it unfolded
Top 6 · 9 roundsFM Joseph Mwale led from R4; +0.5-point edge over the runner-up.
Co-leaders
11
3
5
1
1
1
1
1
1
R4–R9 · LEAD HELD
FM Joseph Mwale held the sole lead from R4 through R9 without losing it.
R8 · HEAD-TO-HEAD · WINNER VS 2ND
FM Joseph Mwale lost to CM George Mwale (Black).
R3–R7 · WIN STREAK
FM Joseph Mwale won 5 in a row (R3–R7).
Key matchups · top 4
Head-to-head between the four finishers| Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1FMJoseph Mwale | * | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2CMGeorge Mwale | 1 | * | ½ | — |
| 3CMJoseph Xavier Nyambalo | 0 | ½ | * | — |
| 4CMChiletso Chipanga | 0 | — | — | * |
Grille américaine
| # | Player | Elo | Fed | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 | R9 | Pts | Bu C1 | Bu | SB | Perf | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mwale, JosephFM | 2272 | MAW | +25N | =7B | +21N | +9B | +8N | +3N | +4B | −2N | =6B | 7.0 | 45.5 | 49.0 | 36.75 | 2188 | -12.6 |
| 2 | Mwale, GeorgeCM | 2023 | MAW | +10N | =15B | =8N | +26B | =7N | =9B | +5N | +1B | =3N | 6.5 | 45.0 | 48.0 | 34.50 | 2129 | +25.2 |
| 3 | Nyambalo, Joseph XavierCM | 1995 | MAW | +30B | +16N | =9N | =7B | +5N | −1B | +12N | +14B | =2B | 6.5 | 43.5 | 45.0 | 29.50 | 2131 | +32.4 |
| 4 | Chipanga, ChiletsoCM | 2049 | MAW | =8N | +14B | −15N | +17B | +21N | +7B | −1N | +12B | +9N | 6.5 | 41.0 | 45.0 | 30.75 | 2119 | +17.8 |
| 5 | Phiri, Aaron | 1941 | MAW | −20B | +29N | +30B | +15N | −3B | +8N | −2B | +11N | +12B | 6.0 | 39.0 | 40.5 | 23.50 | 2030 | +21.4 |
| 6 | Kamwendo Precious | 2017 | MAW | −16B | −22N | +27B | +30N | +18B | =20N | +9N | +7B | =1N | 6.0 | 37.0 | 38.5 | 25.00 | 2115 | +20.0 |
| 7 | Nyama Peter | 1920 | MAW | +18B | =1N | +22B | =3N | =2B | −4N | +20B | −6N | +13B | 5.5 | 45.5 | 49.0 | 26.50 | 2022 | +21.2 |
| 8 | Mwangupili, Franscisco | 1874 | MAW | =4B | +17N | =2B | +20N | −1B | −5B | +28N | =13N | +14B | 5.5 | 43.5 | 46.0 | 24.25 | 2049 | +40.6 |
| 9 | Mphungu, GerrardFM | 2074 | MAW | +27B | +13N | =3B | −1N | +11B | =2N | −6B | +10N | −4B | 5.0 | 47.0 | 50.0 | 24.00 | 2030 | -10.4 |
| 10 | Mpinganjira Stanley Frank | 1846 | MAW | −2B | +19N | −13B | =16N | =28B | +18N | +17B | −9B | +20N | 5.0 | 38.0 | 40.5 | 21.00 | 1969 | +28.4 |
| 11 | Shaba Martin | 1899 | MAW | =22B | +24N | =20B | =12B | −9N | +15N | =13B | −5B | +21N | 5.0 | 36.0 | 39.5 | 20.25 | 1954 | +12.4 |
| 12 | Chimthere, Alfred CharlesCM | 2026 | MAW | =24B | =20N | +16B | =11N | +15B | +13N | −3B | −4N | −5N | 4.5 | 41.5 | 45.0 | 19.75 | 1908 | -28.2 |
| 13 | Chiona, Richard | 1904 | MAW | +23N | −9B | +10N | =21B | +14N | −12B | =11N | =8B | −7N | 4.5 | 39.0 | 42.5 | 20.25 | 1877 | -6.4 |
| 14 | Chirwa Innocent | 1776 | MAW | =17B | −4N | +24B | +22N | −13B | +28N | +16B | −3N | −8N | 4.5 | 39.0 | 41.5 | 16.25 | 1890 | +22.4 |
| 15 | Longwe Winston | 1892 | MAW | +26N | =2N | +4B | −5B | −12N | −11B | −23N | +29B | +24N | 4.5 | 38.5 | 41.0 | 18.75 | 1903 | +3.4 |
| 16 | Malomboza Blessings | 1842 | MAW | +6N | −3B | −12N | =10B | =17N | +29B | −14N | +26B | =18N | 4.5 | 38.5 | 41.0 | 18.50 | 1895 | +24.8 |
| 17 | Ibrahim Jonathan | 1939 | MAW | =14N | −8B | +23N | −4N | =16B | +21B | −10N | =24N | +26B | 4.5 | 37.0 | 40.0 | 16.75 | 1840 | -23.6 |
| 18 | Msowoya Emmanuel | 1776 | MAW | −7N | −26B | +25N | +19B | −6N | −10B | +30N | +23B | =16B | 4.5 | 35.5 | 37.0 | 15.25 | 1867 | +21.6 |
| 19 | Matola Ernest | 1959 | MAW | −21N | −10B | =29B | −18N | −25N | +30B | +27N | +28B | +23N | 4.5 | 28.5 | 30.0 | 11.75 | 1835 | -28.8 |
| 20 | KALIBA Andrew | 1799 | MAW | +5N | =12B | =11N | −8B | +26N | =6B | −7N | =21B | −10B | 4.0 | 41.5 | 44.5 | 18.75 | 1866 | +32.8 |
| 21 | Jere Joseph | 1807 | MAW | +19B | +28N | −1B | =13N | −4B | −17N | +22B | =20N | −11B | 4.0 | 39.5 | 42.0 | 14.75 | 1885 | +12.4 |
| 22 | MBEWE JUSTIN FRIDAY | 0 | MAW | =11N | +6B | −7N | −14B | =27N | =26B | −21N | −25B | +30B | 3.5 | 34.5 | 36.0 | 13.00 | 1793 | 0.0 |
| 23 | Khuphwathea, Paul C.CM | 1667 | MAW | −13B | +27N | −17B | −28N | =24B | +25N | +15B | −18N | −19B | 3.5 | 32.5 | 35.0 | 12.75 | 1820 | +31.8 |
| 24 | Liwonde Leephos | 1847 | MAW | =12N | −11B | −14N | =29B | =23N | +27B | =26N | =17B | −15B | 3.5 | 32.5 | 35.0 | 12.00 | 1782 | -33.2 |
| 25 | Nanthambwe Hubert | 1886 | MAW | −1B | −30N | −18B | −27N | +19B | −23B | =29N | +22N | +28B | 3.5 | 31.0 | 32.5 | 11.75 | 1760 | -28.8 |
| 26 | Soko Seko | 1855 | MAW | −15B | +18N | +28B | −2N | −20B | =22N | =24B | −16N | −17N | 3.0 | 35.5 | 38.0 | 10.50 | 1751 | -22.4 |
| 27 | Sanga Lusayo | 1879 | MAW | −9N | −23B | −6N | +25B | =22B | −24N | −19B | +30N | =29N | 3.0 | 32.0 | 33.5 | 8.00 | 1745 | -56.8 |
| 28 | Mwanza, Malama | 2016 | MAW | +29N | −21B | −26N | +23B | =10N | −14B | −8B | −19N | −25N | 2.5 | 33.5 | 36.0 | 8.50 | 1667 | -81.8 |
| 29 | Mkamanga Rumbani | 1824 | MAW | −28B | −5B | =19N | =24N | =30B | −16N | =25B | −15N | =27B | 2.5 | 32.0 | 33.5 | 8.00 | 1731 | -22.0 |
| 30 | Mkumba John | 1815 | MAW | −3N | +25B | −5N | −6B | =29N | −19N | −18B | −27B | −22N | 1.5 | 37.5 | 40.0 | 4.75 | 1659 | -29.8 |
Key insights
Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.
Top rating gainers
- 1Mwangupili, FransciscoMAW+40.65.5 pts · #7
- 2KALIBA AndrewMAW+32.84.0 pts · #19
- 3Nyambalo, Joseph XavierCMMAW+32.46.5 pts · #3
Top rating losers
- 1Mwanza, MalamaMAW-81.82.5 pts · #28
- 2Sanga LusayoMAW-56.83.0 pts · #29
- 3Liwonde LeephosMAW-33.23.5 pts · #22
Biggest upsets
- R8+249 Elo gap
- R6+240 Elo gap
- R7+225 Elo gap