2026 Buffalo City Chess Trials #1 (U16)
28 players participated in this 5-round tournament, held on 07 Feb 2026 in East London, South Africa. 3 federations represented. Top 10 Elo average was 1267, and top seed was Jonah Beukman (🇿🇦 RSA, 1688).
Ethan Mazikana (🇿🇦 RSA, 1578) won with 4.5/5, ahead of Jonah Kingon (4.5) and Viha Beecum (4.0). Mazikana won on tie-break after catching the field in the final round.
The biggest upset came in round 3: Leon Fricke (1533) beat Jonah Beukman (1688), a +155-point gap.
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How it unfolded
Top 6 · 5 roundsTight race until R5; 2 players tied at 4.5/5, decided on Buchholz.
2 players finish on 4.5/5. Mazikana takes the title on Buchholz Cut1 (12.5).
Ethan Mazikana 3 wins (R1–R3)Jonah Kingon 4 wins (R1–R4)Viha Beecum 3 wins (R1–R3)
Key matchups · top 4
Head-to-head between the four finishers| Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Ethan Mazikana | * | — | — | — |
| 2Jonah Kingon | — | * | ½ | — |
| 3Viha Beecum | — | ½ | * | 1 |
| 4Sibabalwe Vilo | — | — | 0 | * |
Grille américaine
| # | Player | Elo | Fed | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | Pts | Bu C1 | Bu | SB | Perf | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mazikana, Ethan | 1578 | RSA | +26B | +7N | +5B | =8N | +17B | 4.5 | 12.5 | 13.5 | 11.75 | 1892 | +49.6 |
| 2 | Kingon, Jonah | 1580 | RSA | +19N | +28B | +17B | +16N | =3B | 4.5 | 10.5 | 10.5 | 8.50 | 1819 | +24.8 |
| 3 | Beecum, Viha | 1565 | RSA | +12N | +24B | +4N | =6B | =2N | 4.0 | 15.0 | 16.0 | 12.00 | 1676 | +8.8 |
| 4 | Vilo, Sibabalwe | 0 | RSA | +21B | +22N | −3B | +18N | +14B | 4.0 | 11.0 | 13.0 | 9.00 | 821 | -12.4 |
| 5 | Ngewu, Elowo | 1600 | RSA | +10N | +11B | −1N | =23B | +16N | 3.5 | 13.0 | 14.5 | 9.25 | 803 | -18.0 |
| 6 | Canham, Ethan | 0 | RSA | +18B | +27N | +15B | =3N | −8B | 3.5 | 12.5 | 13.5 | 8.00 | 1384 | -21.6 |
| 7 | Cewuka, Lunje | 1492 | RSA | +13N | −1B | =9N | +27B | +23N | 3.5 | 12.0 | 13.0 | 7.00 | 803 | -14.0 |
| 8 | Fricke, Leon | 1533 | FID | F | +20B | +25N | =1B | +6N | 3.5 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 8.75 | 1886 | +53.2 |
| 9 | Mafukidze, Arnold | 0 | RSA | +?B | =16N | =7B | +12N | −15B | 3.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 6.00 | 1492 | 0.0 |
| 10 | FIDE 534011552 | 0 | — | −5B | +?N | −14B | +19N | +22B | 3.0 | 10.5 | 10.5 | 4.00 | 769 | 0.0 |
| 11 | Kleynhans, Rachelle | 0 | RSA | +?B | −5N | −13B | +21N | +?B | 3.0 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 2.00 | 769 | 0.0 |
| 12 | Mpepo, Langalasembo | 0 | RSA | −3B | +?N | +28N | −9B | +24N | 3.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 1.00 | 821 | 0.0 |
| 13 | Gcobo, Isiphile | 0 | RSA | −7B | F | +11N | +25B | +?N | 3.0 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 4.00 | 1569 | 0.0 |
| 14 | Kim, Haeol | 0 | RSA | −?N | +?B | +10N | +?B | −4N | 3.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 3.00 | 681 | 0.0 |
| 15 | FIDE 534020837 | 0 | — | F | +?B | −6N | +?B | +9N | 3.0 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 3.00 | 791 | 0.0 |
| 16 | FIDE 534042130 | 0 | — | +?N | =9B | +24N | −2B | −5B | 2.5 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 2.50 | 776 | 0.0 |
| 17 | Mabhera, Jedidiah Panashe | 1630 | ZIM | F | +23B | −2N | +20B | −1N | 2.0 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 3.50 | 793 | -44.4 |
| 18 | Romans, Caleb | 0 | RSA | −6N | F | +?B | −4B | +20N | 2.0 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 2.00 | 736 | 0.0 |
| 19 | FIDE 534021140 | 0 | — | −2B | +26N | −?N | −10B | +28N | 2.0 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 1.00 | 782 | 0.0 |
| 20 | FIDE 14376075 | 0 | — | +?B | −8N | +?B | −17N | −18B | 2.0 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 0.00 | 782 | 0.0 |
| 21 | FIDE 534021329 | 0 | — | −4N | =?B | =?N | −11B | +?N | 2.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 0.00 | 681 | 0.0 |
| 22 | FIDE 534024646 | 0 | — | +?N | −4B | −?N | +?B | −10N | 2.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 0.00 | 681 | 0.0 |
| 23 | Kwelani, Amvuyele | 0 | RSA | F | −17N | +?B | =5N | −7B | 1.5 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 1.75 | 1291 | 0.0 |
| 24 | FIDE 14376024 | 0 | — | F | −3N | −16B | +?N | −12B | 1.0 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 0.00 | 821 | 0.0 |
| 25 | Beukman, Jonah | 1688 | RSA | F | F | −8B | −13N | +26N | 1.0 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 1.00 | 733 | -26.0 |
| 26 | FIDE 534020853 | 0 | — | −1N | −19B | F | +?N | −25B | 1.0 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 0.00 | 824 | 0.0 |
| 27 | FIDE 14376040 | 0 | — | F | −6B | −?N | −7N | +?B | 1.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 0.00 | 742 | 0.0 |
| 28 | FIDE 534042148 | 0 | — | F | −2N | −12B | −?N | −19B | 0.0 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 0.00 | 782 | 0.0 |
Key insights
Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.
- 1Fricke, LeonFID+53.23.5 pts · #2
- 2Mazikana, EthanRSA+49.64.5 pts · #1
- 3Kingon, JonahRSA+24.84.5 pts · #4
- 1Mabhera, Jedidiah PanasheZIM-44.42.0 pts · #21
- 2Beukman, JonahRSA-26.01.0 pts · #28
- 3Canham, EthanRSA-21.63.5 pts · #6
- R3+155 Elo gap