2026 Umhlanga Chess Club Open (Open)
Open SwissStandard
40 players participated in this 6-round tournament, held from 21 Mar 2026 to 22 Mar 2026 in Umhlanga, South Africa. Top 10 Elo average was 1702, and top seed was Minenhle Ngcongo (🇿🇦 RSA, 1948).
Aviwe Ncemu (🇿🇦 RSA, 1795) won with 5.0/6, ahead of Yu Bo (David) Weng (4.5) and Nkululeko Ngcongo (4.5). Ncemu shared the lead from round 5, winning on tie-break.
The biggest upset came in round 6: Vumankosi Makaula (1501) beat Sizwe Ndlovu (1835), a +334-point gap.
Location
🇿🇦Umhlanga, South Africa
Dates
21 Mar 2026 → 22 Mar 2026
Time control
Standard: 60 minutes for game
System
Swiss · 6 rounds
Avg top 10
1,702
Participants
40
Federations · 1 represented
🇿🇦South Africa×28
Top 3
- 🥇
- 🥈
- 🥉
How it unfolded
Top 6 · 6 roundsTitle race narrowed from 2 co-leaders at R4 to 3 at the finish.
Co-leaders
24
9
4
2
3
3
R1–R6 · UNBEATEN
Aviwe Ncemu went unbeaten across 6 games (R1–R6).
Key matchups · top 4
Head-to-head between the four finishers| Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Aviwe Ncemu | * | — | 1 | ½ |
| 2Yu Bo (David) Weng | — | * | — | — |
| 3Nkululeko Ngcongo | 0 | — | * | — |
| 4Thobani Shabalala | ½ | — | — | * |
Grille américaine
| # | Player | Elo | Fed | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | Pts | Bu C1 | Bu | SB | Perf | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ncemu, Aviwe | 1795 | RSA | +7B | +22N | =5B | +4N | +3B | =?N | 5.0 | 19.0 | 19.0 | 17.00 | 1983 | +14.4 |
| 2 | Weng, Yu Bo (David) | 1767 | RSA | +24N | +26B | −?N | +20B | +6N | =?B | 4.5 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 11.00 | 2441 | +26.4 |
| 3 | Ngcongo, Nkululeko | 1705 | RSA | +20B | =?N | +28B | +?N | −1N | +?B | 4.5 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 4.50 | 995 | -7.6 |
| 4 | Naidoo, Shivam | 1598 | RSA | +9N | =6B | +?N | −1B | =11N | +18B | 4.0 | 19.5 | 19.5 | 10.75 | 1637 | +8.4 |
| 5 | Shabalala, Thobani | 1637 | RSA | +29N | +11B | =1N | =14B | =16N | =8B | 4.0 | 19.0 | 21.0 | 13.25 | 1745 | +30.0 |
| 6 | Makaula, Lubanzi | 1611 | RSA | +35B | =4N | =?B | +12N | −2B | +25N | 4.0 | 14.5 | 14.5 | 8.00 | 1661 | +8.0 |
| 7 | Mbewe, Lumi | 0 | RSA | −1N | −15B | +38N | +17B | +?N | +16B | 4.0 | 14.0 | 14.0 | 6.00 | 1745 | 0.0 |
| 8 | Naidu, Saien | 1630 | RSA | +27B | +30N | +?B | −?B | =14N | =5N | 4.0 | 11.5 | 11.5 | 7.75 | 1708 | +12.4 |
| 9 | Makaula, Vumankosi | 1501 | RSA | −4B | +35N | −22B | +26N | +21B | +?N | 4.0 | 11.5 | 11.5 | 5.00 | 1650 | +15.8 |
| 10 | Magagula, Immanuel | 1697 | RSA | +23B | +18N | +?B | −?B | −?N | +19N | 4.0 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 8.50 | 2405 | +7.4 |
| 11 | Jugree, Abhay | 1640 | RSA | +25B | −5N | +13B | =22N | =4B | =12N | 3.5 | 17.5 | 19.5 | 10.50 | 1581 | -15.6 |
| 12 | Matyolo, Malizo | 1620 | RSA | −?N | +32B | +15N | −6B | +27N | =11B | 3.5 | 13.5 | 13.5 | 7.75 | 1433 | -19.2 |
| 13 | Goel, Rajita | 0 | RSA | F | +38B | −11N | =15B | +31N | +24B | 3.5 | 10.5 | 10.5 | 5.50 | 841 | -8.0 |
| 14 | Mbanjwa, Nhlakanipho | 1607 | RSA | =?B | +34N | +33B | =5N | =8B | −?N | 3.5 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 6.00 | 1785 | +28.8 |
| 15 | Buthelezi, Philasande | 0 | RSA | −28B | +7N | −12B | =13N | =23B | +?B | 3.0 | 15.5 | 15.5 | 7.00 | 1537 | 0.0 |
| 16 | Keerath, Aryan | 1696 | RSA | +40B | −?N | =27B | +23N | =5B | −7N | 3.0 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 5.50 | 1637 | -3.2 |
| 17 | FIDE 534045481 | 0 | — | −21B | −?N | +29B | −7N | +36B | +26N | 3.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 4.50 | 1522 | 0.0 |
| 18 | Deonarain, Jordan | 0 | RSA | +?N | −10B | +?B | +21N | −?B | −4N | 3.0 | 10.5 | 10.5 | 2.50 | 1583 | 0.0 |
| 19 | Sibisi, Lindokuhle | 1605 | RSA | −?N | +31B | +37N | −?B | +20N | −10B | 3.0 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 4.50 | 897 | -14.8 |
| 20 | Malinga, Tshepang | 0 | RSA | −3N | +?B | +30B | −2N | −19B | =21N | 2.5 | 16.5 | 16.5 | 3.25 | 1504 | 0.0 |
| 21 | Dawah, Dhyan | 1685 | RSA | +17N | −?B | +25N | −18B | −9N | =20B | 2.5 | 14.5 | 14.5 | 6.25 | 701 | -29.6 |
| 22 | Khumalo, Mnelisi | 1650 | RSA | +38N | −1B | +9N | =11B | −?N | F | 2.5 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 5.75 | 1646 | -0.8 |
| 23 | FIDE 534045457 | 0 | — | −10N | =?B | +?N | −16B | =15N | =?B | 2.5 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 1.50 | 896 | 0.0 |
| 24 | Tukushe, Sifiso Joshua | 0 | RSA | −2B | +39N | +36B | −?N | =?B | −13N | 2.5 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 0.50 | 827 | 0.0 |
| 25 | FIDE 14396327 | 0 | — | −11N | +29B | −21B | +36N | F | −6B | 2.0 | 14.0 | 14.5 | 2.50 | 846 | 0.0 |
| 26 | Manukuza, Thandokuhle | 1670 | RSA | +39B | −2N | F | −9B | +29N | −17B | 2.0 | 13.5 | 13.5 | 2.00 | 834 | -43.6 |
| 27 | Mkhize, Gcina | 0 | RSA | −8N | +?B | =16N | =28N | −12B | −?B | 2.0 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 2.50 | 1375 | 0.0 |
| 28 | Ntshakala, Hlelolwenkosi | 0 | RSA | +15N | =?B | −3N | =27B | F | F | 2.0 | 11.5 | 11.5 | 4.00 | 904 | 0.0 |
| 29 | FIDE 534045392 | 0 | — | −5B | −25N | −17N | +?B | −26B | +38N | 2.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 0.00 | 854 | 0.0 |
| 30 | Soobramoney, Hezron | 1505 | RSA | +36N | −8B | −20N | F | +37B | −?N | 2.0 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 1.00 | 829 | -13.2 |
| 31 | FIDE 534045465 | 0 | — | −33B | −19N | +35B | −?N | −13B | =?N | 1.5 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 0.50 | 778 | 0.0 |
| 32 | FIDE 534045473 | 0 | — | −?B | −12N | +39B | F | F | F | 1.0 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 0.00 | 865 | 0.0 |
| 33 | Msimango, Senzo | 1715 | RSA | +31N | −?B | −14N | F | F | F | 1.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 1.50 | 807 | -13.0 |
| 34 | FIDE 534045449 | 0 | — | +?N | −14B | −?N | F | F | F | 1.0 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 0.00 | 774 | 0.0 |
| 35 | FIDE 534045414 | 0 | — | −6N | −9B | −31N | −?N | −?B | =36B | 0.5 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 0.25 | 756 | 0.0 |
| 36 | FIDE 534045490 | 0 | — | −30B | F | −24N | −25B | −17N | =35N | 0.5 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 0.25 | 704 | 0.0 |
| 37 | Ngcobo, Andiswa | 0 | RSA | F | −?N | −19B | F | −30N | =?B | 0.5 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 0.00 | 1268 | 0.0 |
| 38 | FIDE 534032312 | 0 | — | −22B | −13N | −7B | F | −?N | −29B | 0.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 0.00 | 727 | 0.0 |
| 39 | FIDE 534045422 | 0 | — | −26N | −24B | −32N | F | F | F | 0.0 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 0.00 | 870 | 0.0 |
| 40 | FIDE 14381796 | 0 | — | −16N | −?B | −?N | F | F | F | 0.0 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 0.00 | 818 | 0.0 |
Key insights
Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.
Top rating gainers
- 1Shabalala, ThobaniRSA+30.04.0 pts · #2
- 2Mbanjwa, NhlakaniphoRSA+28.83.5 pts · #4
- 3Weng, Yu Bo (David)RSA+26.44.5 pts · #6
Top rating losers
- 1Manukuza, ThandokuhleRSA-43.62.0 pts · #36
- 2Dawah, DhyanRSA-29.62.5 pts · #27
- 3Matyolo, MalizoRSA-19.23.5 pts · #19
Biggest upsets
- R6+334 Elo gap
- R3+243 Elo gap
- R3+205 Elo gap