CRCL open 2026
Open SwissStandard
8 players participated in this 7-round tournament, held from 08 Jan 2026 to 10 Jan 2026 in Lilongwe, Malawi. 2 titled players. Top 10 Elo average was 1362, and top seed was Tupokiwe Msukwa (🇲🇼 MAW, WCM, 1700).
Ellen Mpinganjira (🇲🇼 MAW, WCM, 1543) won with 5.5/7, ahead of Tupokiwe Msukwa (5.0) and Kapalamula Martha (5.0).
The biggest upset came in round 3: Susan Namangale (1499) beat Tupokiwe Msukwa (WCM, 1700), a +201-point gap.
Location
🇲🇼Lilongwe, Malawi
Dates
08 Jan 2026 → 10 Jan 2026
Time control
Standard: 90 minutes for the whole game
System
Swiss · 7 rounds
Titled players · 2
WCM×2
Federations · 1 represented
🇲🇼Malawi×7
Top 3
- 🥇
- 🥈
- 🥉
How it unfolded
Top 6 · 7 roundsWCM Ellen Mpinganjira led from R3; +0.5-point edge over the runner-up.
Co-leaders
3
2
1
1
1
1
1
R3–R7 · LEAD HELD
WCM Ellen Mpinganjira held the sole lead from R3 through R7 without losing it.
R6 · HEAD-TO-HEAD · WINNER VS 2ND
WCM Ellen Mpinganjira drew with WCM Tupokiwe Msukwa (Black).
R3–R7 · WIN STREAK
Kapalamula Martha won 5 in a row (R3–R7).
Key matchups · top 4
Head-to-head between the four finishers| Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1WCMEllen Mpinganjira | * | ½ | 1 | ½ |
| 2WCMTupokiwe Msukwa | ½ | * | 1 | 1 |
| 3Kapalamula Martha | 0 | 0 | * | 1 |
| 4Kapende Shalom | ½ | 0 | 0 | * |
Grille américaine
| # | Player | Elo | Fed | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | Pts | Bu C1 | Bu | SB | Perf | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mpinganjira, EllenWCM | 1543 | MAW | =4B | +3N | +7B | =5N | +6B | =2N | +8B | 5.5 | 21.5 | 21.5 | 15.25 | 1734 | +24.0 |
| 2 | Msukwa, TupokiweWCM | 1700 | MAW | +3B | +7N | −5B | =6N | +8B | =1B | +4N | 5.0 | 22.0 | 22.0 | 14.50 | 1644 | -9.6 |
| 3 | Kapalamula Martha | 1485 | MAW | −2N | −1B | +4N | +8N | +7B | +5N | +6B | 5.0 | 22.0 | 22.0 | 11.50 | 1682 | +30.8 |
| 4 | Kapende Shalom | 1575 | MAW | =1N | +8N | −3B | =7N | +5B | +6N | −2B | 4.0 | 23.0 | 23.0 | 9.50 | 1542 | -6.0 |
| 5 | Namangale, Susan | 1499 | MAW | +8B | −6B | +2N | =1B | −4N | −3B | +7N | 3.5 | 23.5 | 23.5 | 9.25 | 1498 | -1.2 |
| 6 | Kumwenda Temwa | 1560 | MAW | +7B | +5N | F | =2B | −1N | −4B | −3N | 2.5 | 24.5 | 24.5 | 7.50 | 1502 | +8.4 |
| 7 | Banda Tapiwa | 1536 | MAW | −6N | −2B | −1N | =4B | −3N | +8N | −5B | 1.5 | 25.5 | 25.5 | 2.00 | 1153 | -42.2 |
| 8 | FIDE 20512619 | 0 | — | −5N | −4B | F | −3B | −2N | −7B | −1N | 0.0 | 25.5 | 27.0 | 0.00 | 759 | 0.0 |
Key insights
Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.
Top rating gainers
- 1Kapalamula MarthaMAW+30.85.0 pts · #3
- 2Mpinganjira, EllenWCMMAW+24.05.5 pts · #1
- 3Kumwenda TemwaMAW+8.42.5 pts · #6
Top rating losers
- 1Banda TapiwaMAW-42.21.5 pts · #7
- 2Msukwa, TupokiweWCMMAW-9.65.0 pts · #2
- 3Kapende ShalomMAW-6.04.0 pts · #4
Biggest upsets
- R3+201 Elo gap