2026 MCA Welcome Tshwane (A)

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42 players participated in this 5-round tournament, held on 24 Jan 2026 in Centurion, South Africa. 5 titled players from 4 federations. Top 10 Elo average was 2121, and top seed was Gift Bwalya (🇿🇲 ZAM, 2314).

Gift Bwalya (🇿🇲 ZAM, 2314) won with 4.5/5, ahead of James Dinham (4.5) and Benjamin Vincent Hercules (4.0). Bwalya won on tie-break after catching the field in the final round.

The biggest upset came in round 2: Matthew Pasaribu (1605) beat Lindokuhle Xulu (1929), a +324-point gap.

Location

🇿🇦Centurion, South Africa

Dates

24 Jan 2026

Time control

Standard: All Moves in 55 Min. Incr. 5 Sec. / /

System

Swiss · 5 rounds

Top seed

🇿🇲Gift Bwalya2314

Avg top 10

2,121

Participants

Titled players · 5

IM×1

FM×1

CM×2

WCM×1

Federations · 4 represented

🇿🇦South Africa×39

FIDE (no federation)×1

🇿🇲Zambia×1

🇿🇼Zimbabwe×1

Top 3

🥇
Gift Bwalya
🇿🇲ZAM·2314
4.5pts·2326perf+112.8
🥈
James Dinham
🇿🇦RSA·2090
4.5pts·2252perf+16.6
🥉
CMBenjamin Vincent Hercules
🇿🇦RSA·2092
4.0pts·2071perf0.0

How it unfolded

Top 6 · 5 rounds

Tight race until R5; 2 players tied at 4.5/5, decided on Buchholz.

Co-leaders

Dinham4.5Bwalya4.5Xulu4Hercules4Mabusela3.5Combrink3.5

R5 · TIEBREAK CLUSTER

2 players finish on 4.5/5. Bwalya takes the title on Buchholz Cut1 (12.0).

WIN STREAKS · 3 top finishers

James Dinham 3 wins (R3–R5)Gift Bwalya 3 wins (R3–R5)Lindokuhle Xulu 3 wins (R3–R5)

Key matchups · top 4

Head-to-head between the four finishers

Player	1	2	3	4
1James Dinham	*	—	—	—
2Gift Bwalya	—	*	—	1
3Lindokuhle Xulu	—	—	*	—
4CMBenjamin Vincent Hercules	—	0	—	*

Grille américaine

#	Player	Elo	Fed	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	Pts	Bu C1	Bu	SB	Perf	Δ
1	Bwalya, Gift	2314	ZAM	+13B	=18N	+25B	+19N	+3B	4.5	12.0	14.0	12.75	2326	+112.8
2	Dinham, James	2090	RSA	+39B	=25N	+32B	+6N	+5B	4.5	10.5	11.5	10.50	2252	+16.6
3	Hercules, Benjamin VincentCM	2092	RSA	+15N	+16B	+11N	+12B	−1N	4.0	13.5	16.5	12.00	2071	0.0
4	Xulu, Lindokuhle	1929	RSA	+34N	−11B	+24N	+26B	+12N	4.0	10.0	11.5	8.50	2034	+13.4
5	Egeonu, Chigozie	2053	RSA	+33N	+28B	=19N	+8B	−2N	3.5	12.5	14.0	8.25	2099	+8.4
6	Selepe, Lwazi	2042	RSA	+37B	=32N	+10B	−2B	+20N	3.5	12.0	13.0	7.75	1977	-5.0
7	Jacobs, Calvin Nicholas	2170	RSA	+24N	+26B	−12N	+15B	=9N	3.5	11.5	13.5	8.75	2069	-13.6
8	Mabusela, Johannes ManyediIM	2100	RSA	=23B	+38N	+18B	−5N	+14B	3.5	11.0	12.0	7.50	2013	-7.8
9	Mhango, BaneleFM	2226	RSA	F	+37N	+13B	+27N	=7B	3.5	10.0	11.0	7.75	2249	+3.2
10	Combrink, Juan-Louis	1843	RSA	=38B	+23N	−6N	+33B	+18N	3.5	9.5	10.5	6.50	1987	+38.8
11	Pasaribu, Matthew	1605	RSA	+20B	+4N	−3B	−14N	+29B	3.0	13.5	15.5	8.50	1942	+41.0
12	Ristovich, Dmitar S.	2055	RSA	+40B	+41N	+7B	−3N	−4B	3.0	12.5	12.5	4.50	1981	-5.4
13	Nel, HayleyWCM	1823	RSA	−1N	+34B	−9N	+24B	+30N	3.0	12.0	13.5	5.50	1916	+10.4
14	Sathish, Abinavah	1850	RSA	−28N	+36B	+16N	+11B	−8N	3.0	11.5	13.0	7.50	1840	-0.8
15	Amrouni, Alexia	1769	RSA	−3B	+42N	+29B	−7N	+26N	3.0	11.5	11.5	4.00	1964	+22.8
16	Deysel, Kaleb	1811	RSA	+42B	−3N	−14B	+41N	+27B	3.0	9.0	9.0	2.00	1884	+18.4
17	Sarakusebwa, Shepard	1877	RSA	=36N	=35B	+28N	−18B	+23N	3.0	8.0	9.5	5.50	1850	-2.4
18	Coetsee, Dewald	1904	RSA	+21N	=1B	−8N	+17N	−10B	2.5	14.5	17.0	7.75	1854	-12.8
19	Mazibuko, KhanyaCM	2069	RSA	+27B	+29N	=5B	−1B	F	2.5	12.0	12.0	5.75	1947	-10.8
20	Memeh, Chime	1800	RSA	−11N	=33B	+35N	+32B	−6B	2.5	9.5	11.0	3.75	1798	-1.2
21	Van Meersbergen, Ettienne	1622	RSA	−18B	=39N	−23B	+40N	+37B	2.5	6.5	7.5	2.50	1722	+25.2
22	Mankga, Thabang	1882	RSA	F	+40N	−27B	=34B	+33N	2.5	6.0	6.0	3.25	1808	-7.2
23	Maphage, Benedict	1813	RSA	=8N	−10B	+21N	=25B	−17B	2.0	12.5	14.5	5.25	1798	-6.0
24	Machet, Jordan	1766	RSA	−7B	+30N	−4B	−13N	+38B	2.0	12.5	13.5	3.00	1774	-3.6
25	PRINCE CHIDEMBO	1909	ZIM	F	=2B	−1N	=23N	+35B	2.0	12.5	12.5	4.75	1896	-1.6
26	Naidoo, Dhiya	1777	RSA	+30B	−7N	+41B	−4N	−15B	2.0	12.5	12.5	2.00	1768	-7.6
27	Magagula, Raymond	1761	RSA	−19N	+31B	+22N	−9B	−16N	2.0	11.5	13.5	4.50	1845	+7.6
28	Naidoo, Kajol	1738	RSA	+14B	−5N	−17B	−29N	+41B	2.0	11.5	11.5	3.00	1777	+8.4
29	Segal, Jamie Dylan	1766	RSA	+31N	−19B	−15N	+28B	−11N	2.0	10.5	12.5	4.00	1695	-20.8
30	Jones, Edward	1631	RSA	−26N	−24B	+37B	+39N	−13B	2.0	8.0	9.0	2.00	1666	+8.0
31	Reyneke, Hugo	1660	RSA	−29B	−27N	=40B	=38N	+39B	2.0	6.0	7.0	2.00	1612	-13.2
32	Jones, William	1738	RSA	F	=6B	−2N	−20N	+34B	1.5	14.0	15.5	3.25	1838	+7.6
33	Yoko, Christopher	1753	RSA	−5B	=20N	+38B	−10N	−22B	1.5	12.0	13.0	2.25	1702	-8.2
34	Dumakude, Nkululeko	1766	RSA	−4B	−13N	+42B	=22N	−32N	1.5	11.0	11.0	1.25	1657	-29.2
35	Mendelsohn, David C.	1850	RSA	F	=17N	−20B	+36B	−25N	1.5	9.0	9.0	3.00	1707	-15.4
36	Brits, Etienne	1588	RSA	=17B	−14N	=39B	−35N	=40B	1.5	8.5	9.5	2.50	1611	+1.6
37	Bain, Michael	1656	RSA	−6N	−9B	−30N	+42B	−21N	1.0	11.5	11.5	0.00	1565	-32.8
38	Chikwava, Ronald	1675	FID	=10N	−8B	−33N	=31B	−24N	1.0	11.0	12.5	2.75	1580	-13.0
39	Radia, Shyam	1652	RSA	−2N	=21B	=36N	−30B	−31N	1.0	11.0	12.5	2.00	1471	-49.2
40	Thorulsley, Kairaav	1572	RSA	−12N	−22B	=31N	−21B	=36N	1.0	10.0	11.5	1.75	1504	-20.0
41	Narula, Aryash	1699	RSA	F	−12B	−26N	−16B	−28N	0.0	10.5	12.5	0.00	1045	-52.0
42	Phala, Arthur	1659	RSA	−16N	−15B	−34N	−37N	F	0.0	8.5	8.5	0.00	954	-29.4

Key insights

Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.

Top rating gainers

1Bwalya, GiftZAM
+112.8
4.5 pts · #2
2Pasaribu, MatthewRSA
+41.0
3.0 pts · #16
3Combrink, Juan-LouisRSA
+38.8
3.5 pts · #6

Top rating losers

1Narula, AryashRSA
-52.0
0.0 pts · #42
2Radia, ShyamRSA
-49.2
1.0 pts · #39
3Bain, MichaelRSA
-32.8
1.0 pts · #37

Biggest upsets

R2+324 Elo gap
Pasaribu, Matthew1605 beat Xulu, Lindokuhle1929
R1+195 Elo gap
Pasaribu, Matthew1605 beat Memeh, Chime1800
R5+161 Elo gap
Pasaribu, Matthew1605 beat Segal, Jamie Dylan1766