CChessStats

STEINITZ CHESS FESTIVAL 2026 (Championship)

Open SwissStandard

27 players participated in this 6-round tournament, held from 20 Mar 2026 to 22 Mar 2026 in Cape Town, South Africa. 3 titled players from 2 federations. Top 10 Elo average was 2009, and top seed was Matfey Rogov (🇷🇺 RUS, FM, 2369).

Matfey Rogov (🇷🇺 RUS, FM, 2369) won with 6.0/6, ahead of Chase Salimu (4.5) and Ethan Samuels (4.0). Rogov won solo starting round 4.

The biggest upset came in round 1: Shaurya Singh (1759) beat Lyndon Bouah (CM, 2094), a +335-point gap.

Location
🇿🇦Cape Town, South Africa
Dates
20 Mar 2026 → 22 Mar 2026
Time control
Standard: 60 minutes with 30 seconds increment from move 1
System
Swiss · 6 rounds
Top seed
🇷🇺FMMatfey Rogov2369
Avg top 10
2,009
Participants
27
Titled players · 3
FM×1
CM×2
Federations · 2 represented
🇿🇦South Africa×25
🇷🇺Russia×2
Top 3

How it unfolded

Top 6 · 6 rounds

FM Matfey Rogov led from R4; +1.5-point edge over the runner-up.

Co-leaders
12
6
3
1
1
1
1.534.56R1R2R3R4R5R6
Rogov6Salimu4.5Bouah4Samuels4Palmer3.5Mfazwe3.5
R4–R6 · LEAD HELD

FM Matfey Rogov never relinquished the lead after R4; final gap +1.5 over the runner-up.

R5 · HEAD-TO-HEAD · WINNER VS 2ND

FM Matfey Rogov beat Chase Salimu (Black).

WIN STREAKS · 2 top finishers

FM Matfey Rogov 6 wins (R1–R6)Chase Salimu 3 wins (R1–R3)

Key matchups · top 4

Head-to-head between the four finishers
Player1234
1FMMatfey Rogov*
1
—
1
2Chase Salimu
0
*——
3CMLyndon Bouah——*—
4Ethan Samuels
0
——*

Grille américaine

#PlayerEloFedR1R2R3R4R5R6PtsBu C1BuSBPerfΔ
1Rogov, MatfeyFM2369RUS+12N+7B+6N+3B+2N+5B6.019.022.522.502780+10.6
2Salimu, Chase1957RSA+21N+23B+9B=7N−1B+8N4.519.020.012.252183+66.8
3Samuels, Ethan2025RSA+15B+16N+5B−1N=8B=6B4.019.522.513.002065+6.4
4Bouah, LyndonCM2094RSA−5B+17N+21B−8N+19B+18N4.015.518.011.001902-22.6
5Singh, Shaurya1759RSA+4N+8B−3N=6B+9B−1N3.521.024.512.752109+102.0
6Rogov, Timofey1980RUS+24N+11B−1B=5N=10B=3N3.520.521.510.001947-4.2
7Kedama, Sandiso1932RSA+20B−1N+27B=2B=13N=11B3.520.020.08.251915-2.8
8Mfazwe, Lutho1975RSA+26B−5N+14N+4B=3N−2B3.519.019.59.501957-1.6
9Palmer, ReeganCM2077RSA+18N+10B−2N=13B−5N+19B3.518.020.510.751851-29.4
10Lewis, Mark Mm.1826RSA+22N−9N=19B+11B=6N=13B3.516.518.510.251866+7.2
11Rogov, Evgeniy1609RSA+25B−6N+16B−10N+15B=7N3.516.517.58.751904+88.8
12Vorster, Paul1760RSA−1B=26N+17B−19N+21B+20N3.516.517.08.251856+27.6
13Opperman, Connor Gavin1789RSA−19B+24N+20B=9N=7B=10N3.515.516.58.751889+32.0
14Schutte, Andre1816RSA=17B+19N−8B=15N=20B=16N3.015.017.58.251779-6.4
15Willenberg, Roland C.1751RSA−3N+22B=23N=14B−11N+25B3.013.514.55.001804+8.0
16Bell, Luke1804RSA+27N−3B−11N=23B+22N=14B3.013.513.54.001793-3.6
17Palmer, Jesse1731RSA=14N−4B−12N+26N=24B+23B3.012.513.03.501837+30.8
18Ressel, Tane1755RSA−9B−20N+26B+27N+23N−4B3.011.511.51.501872+16.0
19Van Schaik, Michael1665RSA+13N−14B=10N+12B−4N−9N2.518.021.08.751830+21.0
20Masoka, Lwando1743RSA−7N+18B−13N+24B=14N−12B2.516.517.55.501743-0.8
21Siwela, Sphamandla Thal1747RSA−2B+25N−4N=22B−12N+27B2.515.015.02.001785+6.8
22Joya, Imkhita1736RSA−10B−15N+25B=21N−16B=24N2.013.014.02.751652-26.4
23Willenberg, Athon1853RSAF−2N=15B=16N−18B−17N1.016.516.53.001560-37.2
24Budge, Daniel1750RSA−6B−13BF−20N=17N=22B1.014.514.52.501556-24.4
25Willenberg, Glen I.1786RSA−11N−21B−22NF+27B−15N1.011.011.00.001472-40.0
26Southey, Andrew M.1749RSA−8N=12B−18N−17BFF0.513.013.01.751484-24.0
27Mokhele, Katleho1716RSA−16BF−7N−18B−25N−21N0.013.013.00.001005-38.2

Key insights

Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.

Top rating gainers
Top rating losers
Biggest upsets