2026 Buffalo City Chess Trials #1 (U18)
Open SwissStandard
35 players participated in this 5-round tournament, held on 07 Feb 2026 in East London, South Africa. Top 10 Elo average was 1583, and top seed was Palo Mwelwa (🇿🇦 RSA, 1656).
Tyler Botha (🇿🇦 RSA, 1598) won with 4.5/5, ahead of Onako Bambela (4.0) and Tatenda Mbewe (4.0). Botha clinched sole first place in the final round.
Location
🇿🇦East London, South Africa
Dates
07 Feb 2026
Time control
Standard: 60 minutes for game
System
Swiss · 5 rounds
Federations · 1 represented
🇿🇦South Africa×17
Top 3
- 🥇
- 🥈
- 🥉
How it unfolded
Top 6 · 5 roundsTyler Botha led from R5; +0.5-point edge over the runner-up. Title race converged from 5 co-leaders at R4 to 1 by R5.
Co-leaders
18
10
4
5
1
R5–R5 · LEAD HELD
Tyler Botha held the sole lead from R5 through R5 without losing it.
WIN STREAKS · 3 top finishers
Tyler Botha 4 wins (R2–R5)Tatenda Mbewe 3 wins (R1–R3)Palo Mwelwa 3 wins (R1–R3)
Key matchups · top 4
Head-to-head between the four finishers| Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Tyler Botha | * | — | — | — |
| 2Tatenda Mbewe | — | * | ½ | ½ |
| 3Palo Mwelwa | — | ½ | * | — |
| 4Onako Bambela | — | ½ | — | * |
Grille américaine
| # | Player | Elo | Fed | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | Pts | Bu C1 | Bu | SB | Perf | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Botha, Tyler | 1598 | RSA | =17N | +23B | +9N | +8B | +5N | 4.5 | 12.5 | 15.5 | 14.00 | 2334 | +14.0 |
| 2 | Bambela, Onako | 1641 | RSA | +23N | +19B | +7N | =5B | =3N | 4.0 | 14.0 | 17.0 | 13.25 | 1564 | -4.4 |
| 3 | Mbewe, Tatenda | 1617 | RSA | +24B | +18N | +13B | =4N | =2B | 4.0 | 14.0 | 16.5 | 12.50 | 1750 | +38.0 |
| 4 | Mwelwa, Palo | 1656 | RSA | +29B | +15N | +20B | =3B | =7N | 4.0 | 13.5 | 15.5 | 11.75 | 1709 | +12.4 |
| 5 | Maipo, Takunda | 0 | RSA | +12B | +22N | +11B | =2N | −1B | 3.5 | 14.5 | 17.5 | 11.00 | 1451 | 0.0 |
| 6 | Njenjesi, Lukhanyiso | 1506 | RSA | +31B | −20N | +14B | +22N | =10B | 3.5 | 12.0 | 13.0 | 8.50 | 2325 | +20.8 |
| 7 | Magobiyane, Sandile | 0 | RSA | +35B | +30N | −2B | +20N | =4B | 3.5 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 6.00 | 1424 | 0.0 |
| 8 | FIDE 534021663 | 0 | — | +?B | +16N | =10B | −1N | =12B | 3.0 | 13.5 | 13.5 | 6.00 | 1582 | 0.0 |
| 9 | Magwentshu, Bala | 1584 | RSA | +34B | =14N | −1B | +24N | =17B | 3.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 5.50 | 1390 | -14.4 |
| 10 | Semwogerere, Joseph | 0 | RSA | +26N | +21B | =8N | −16B | =6N | 3.0 | 12.5 | 14.5 | 8.25 | 1324 | 0.0 |
| 11 | Schutte, Adrian | 0 | RSA | +?N | +17B | −5N | =18N | =13B | 3.0 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 6.00 | 1497 | 0.0 |
| 12 | FIDE 534032410 | 0 | — | −5N | +?B | +19N | =14B | =8N | 3.0 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 6.00 | 1525 | 0.0 |
| 13 | Toko, Kungawo | 1542 | RSA | +27N | +33B | −3N | =21B | =11N | 3.0 | 12.0 | 12.5 | 5.50 | 764 | -18.0 |
| 14 | Cressey, Ryelee Jordan | 1557 | RSA | +28N | =9B | −6N | =12N | +26B | 3.0 | 11.5 | 13.5 | 7.00 | 1329 | -20.4 |
| 15 | Ndumndum, Eyabo | 1489 | RSA | +25N | −4B | +27N | +30B | −16N | 3.0 | 11.0 | 12.0 | 5.00 | 755 | -30.4 |
| 16 | Ndabambi, Awothando | 1593 | RSA | F | −8B | +26N | +10N | +15B | 3.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 8.00 | 2267 | +16.8 |
| 17 | FIDE 534021710 | 0 | — | =1B | −11N | +?N | +33B | =9N | 3.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 4.25 | 1588 | 0.0 |
| 18 | Mayo, Esinaye | 1532 | RSA | +32N | −3B | +35N | =11B | =21N | 3.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 4.00 | 764 | -14.4 |
| 19 | FIDE 534010319 | 0 | — | +?B | −2N | −12B | +27N | +28B | 3.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 4.00 | 847 | 0.0 |
| 20 | FIDE 14385457 | 0 | — | +?N | +6B | −4N | −7B | +?N | 3.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 3.50 | 1549 | 0.0 |
| 21 | Slater, James | 0 | RSA | +?B | −10N | +31B | =13N | =18B | 3.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 4.00 | 1497 | 0.0 |
| 22 | Gola, Cwenga | 0 | RSA | +?N | −5B | +25N | −6B | +30N | 3.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 3.00 | 710 | 0.0 |
| 23 | FIDE 534019448 | 0 | — | −2B | −1N | +?B | +?N | +?B | 3.0 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 0.00 | 844 | 0.0 |
| 24 | FIDE 534042270 | 0 | — | −3N | +32B | =33N | −9B | +25N | 2.5 | 10.0 | 10.5 | 3.25 | 749 | 0.0 |
| 25 | FIDE 534042202 | 0 | — | −15B | +29N | −22B | +31N | −24B | 2.0 | 10.5 | 11.5 | 3.00 | 667 | 0.0 |
| 26 | FIDE 534042164 | 0 | — | −10B | +?N | −16B | +34N | −14N | 2.0 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 0.00 | 724 | 0.0 |
| 27 | FIDE 534032436 | 0 | — | −13B | +?N | −15B | −19B | +?N | 2.0 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 0.00 | 699 | 0.0 |
| 28 | FIDE 14373580 | 0 | — | −14B | +34N | −30B | +?N | −19N | 2.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 0.00 | 725 | 0.0 |
| 29 | FIDE 14382210 | 0 | — | −4N | −25B | −?N | +?B | +33N | 2.0 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 0.50 | 787 | 0.0 |
| 30 | FIDE 534042180 | 0 | — | F | −7B | +28N | −15N | −22B | 1.0 | 11.5 | 11.5 | 2.00 | 667 | 0.0 |
| 31 | FIDE 534042199 | 0 | — | −6N | +?B | −21N | −25B | −32B | 1.0 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 0.00 | 710 | 0.0 |
| 32 | FIDE 534042237 | 0 | — | −18B | −24N | −?B | F | +31N | 1.0 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 1.00 | 663 | 0.0 |
| 33 | FIDE 534042229 | 0 | — | F | −13N | =24B | −17N | −29B | 0.5 | 10.5 | 10.5 | 1.25 | 731 | 0.0 |
| 34 | FIDE 534042172 | 0 | — | −9N | −28B | F | −26B | −?N | 0.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 0.00 | 734 | 0.0 |
| 35 | FIDE 534024700 | 0 | — | −7N | F | −18B | −?B | F | 0.0 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 0.00 | 663 | 0.0 |
Key insights
Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.
Top rating gainers
- 1Mbewe, TatendaRSA+38.04.0 pts · #1
- 2Njenjesi, LukhanyisoRSA+20.83.5 pts · #10
- 3Ndabambi, AwothandoRSA+16.83.0 pts · #5
Top rating losers
- 1Ndumndum, EyaboRSA-30.43.0 pts · #33
- 2Cressey, Ryelee JordanRSA-20.43.0 pts · #15
- 3Toko, KungawoRSA-18.03.0 pts · #29