2026 South African Junior Closed (U16 Boys)

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49 players participated in this 9-round tournament, held from 28 Mar 2026 to 02 Apr 2026 in Rustenburg, South Africa. Top 10 Elo average was 1814, and top seed was Raynier Claassen (🇿🇦 RSA, 2025).

Raynier Claassen (🇿🇦 RSA, 2025) won with 8.0/9, ahead of Juan-Louis Combrink (7.0) and Bafana Sgudhla (6.5). Claassen shared the lead from round 6 and won solo starting round 7.

The biggest upset came in round 2: Zander Nicolaas Slabbert (1676) beat Raynier Claassen (2025), a +349-point gap.

Location

🇿🇦Rustenburg, South Africa

Dates

28 Mar 2026 → 02 Apr 2026

Time control

Standard: 90 minutes with 30 second increment from move 1

System

Swiss · 9 rounds

Top seed

🇿🇦Raynier Claassen2025

Avg top 10

1,814

Participants

Federations · 1 represented

🇿🇦South Africa×46

Top 3

🥇
Raynier Claassen
🇿🇦RSA·2025
8.0pts·2075perf+16.4
🥈
Juan-Louis Combrink
🇿🇦RSA·1880
7.0pts·1978perf+43.2
🥉
Bafana Sgudhla
🇿🇦RSA·1791
6.5pts·1915perf+60.8

How it unfolded

Top 6 · 9 rounds

Raynier Claassen led from R7; +1.0-point edge over the runner-up.

Co-leaders

Claassen8Combrink7Deysel6.5Sgudhla6.5Dharampall6.5Murray6

R7 · LEADER CHANGE01 Apr

Raynier Claassen takes the sole lead (6.0/7).

R6 · HEAD-TO-HEAD · WINNER VS 2ND

Raynier Claassen beat Juan-Louis Combrink (White).

WIN STREAKS · 3 top finishers

Raynier Claassen 7 wins (R3–R9)Juan-Louis Combrink 4 wins (R1–R4)Kaleb Deysel 3 wins (R7–R9)

Key matchups · top 4

Head-to-head between the four finishers

Player	1	2	3	4
1Raynier Claassen	*	1	—	1
2Juan-Louis Combrink	0	*	—	½
3Kaleb Deysel	—	—	*	—
4Bafana Sgudhla	0	½	—	*

Grille américaine

#	Player	Elo	Fed	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9	Pts	Bu C1	Bu	SB	Perf	Δ
1	Claassen, Raynier	2025	RSA	+21N	−24B	+26N	+22B	+23N	+2B	+4N	+3B	+7B	8.0	44.0	48.5	44.00	2075	+16.4
2	Combrink, Juan-Louis	1880	RSA	+14B	+13N	+11B	+8N	=3B	−1N	+12B	+7N	=4B	7.0	48.5	54.0	39.50	1978	+43.2
3	Sgudhla, Bafana	1791	RSA	+37B	+27N	+4B	=7B	=2N	=8N	+25B	−1N	+9B	6.5	47.0	50.5	33.50	1915	+60.8
4	Dharampall, Viraak	1824	RSA	+33N	+25B	−3N	+36B	+7N	+13B	−1B	+6N	=2N	6.5	47.0	50.5	32.50	1848	+19.2
5	Deysel, Kaleb	1829	RSA	=16N	+28B	+19N	=9B	=10N	−7B	+18N	+23B	+8N	6.5	42.0	46.5	32.75	1843	+11.2
6	Murray, Jaydon	1456	RSA	+22N	+18B	−9N	+31N	−8B	+19B	+10N	−4B	+20N	6.0	42.5	46.5	29.00	1838	+170.0
7	Mangala, Sibonelo	1690	RSA	+15B	+20N	+12B	=3N	−4B	+5N	+8B	−2B	−1N	5.5	51.0	56.0	31.25	1851	+76.0
8	CHIPUNZA, Jared	1814	RSA	+40N	+10B	+24N	−2B	+6N	=3B	−7N	+12B	−5B	5.5	47.0	50.0	27.75	1777	-13.2
9	Van Meersbergen, Ettienne	1726	RSA	=30B	+38N	+6B	=5N	−12B	+20N	=13N	+24B	−3N	5.5	44.0	47.5	27.25	1705	-5.6
10	Clainos, Spiro	1676	RSA	+41B	−8N	+37B	+11N	=5B	=12N	−6B	+31N	=14B	5.5	42.0	45.0	24.75	1735	+32.0
11	Chang, Samuel	1782	RSA	+43N	+17B	−2N	−10B	+33N	=26B	=20N	=15B	+22N	5.5	41.5	44.0	24.00	1705	-30.0
12	Dikane, Oageng	1690	RSA	+29N	+42B	−7N	+39B	+9N	=10B	−2N	−8N	+27B	5.5	41.0	43.5	22.75	1726	+20.8
13	Tema, Ofana	1603	RSA	+49N	−2B	+40N	+18B	+24N	−4N	=9B	−20B	+26N	5.5	41.0	41.0	19.75	1707	+43.6
14	Makaula, Lubanzi	1611	RSA	−2N	+29B	−22N	+35B	−36N	+28B	+39N	+18B	=10N	5.5	38.5	41.5	23.75	1692	+39.2
15	Van Der Spuy, Albert	1617	RSA	−7N	+49B	+25N	−19B	+22N	−18B	+36B	=11N	+23N	5.5	38.0	38.0	19.75	1717	+44.4
16	Lehasa, Onalenna	1624	RSA	=5B	=31N	−36B	+42N	−25N	+46B	=22N	+33B	+24N	5.5	34.0	36.0	20.50	1663	+14.0
17	Dugmore, Deacon	1666	RSA	+44B	−11N	+45B	−23N	=31B	−27N	+34B	+21N	+25B	5.5	34.0	36.0	19.50	1649	-3.2
18	Maruma, Kamogelo	1702	RSA	+34B	−6N	+21B	−13N	+27B	+15N	−5B	−14N	+32B	5.0	42.5	46.5	23.00	1615	-36.4
19	Khan, Mohammed Zayan	1754	RSA	=38B	+32N	−5B	+15N	=26B	−6N	−21B	+40N	+35B	5.0	39.0	42.0	20.50	1580	-67.6
20	Botha, Johannes Cornel	1587	RSA	+46N	−7B	=43N	+28B	+32N	−9B	=11B	+13N	−6B	5.0	39.0	41.0	20.00	1562	+27.2
21	Terblanche, Johann	1663	RSA	−1B	+47N	−18N	−32B	+41N	+35B	+19N	−17B	+31B	5.0	38.5	40.0	17.50	1755	+35.6
22	Molele, Lesedi	1718	RSA	−6B	+34N	+14B	−1N	−15B	+30N	=16B	+37N	−11B	4.5	44.5	48.0	20.25	1641	-39.6
23	Bain, Michael	1649	RSA	+35N	=26B	=39N	+17B	−1B	=37N	+27B	−5N	−15B	4.5	42.0	45.0	19.50	1650	-1.2
24	Slabbert, Zander Nicolaas	1676	RSA	+47B	+1N	−8B	=27N	−13B	+38N	+37B	−9N	−16B	4.5	41.5	43.0	18.75	1667	-7.2
25	Liang, Yi-Xuan	1582	RSA	+48B	−4N	−15B	+34N	+16B	+36N	−3N	=26B	−17N	4.5	41.5	43.0	16.75	1599	+6.8
26	Changara, Adiel	1439	RSA	+36B	=23N	−1B	+43B	=19N	=11N	=31B	=25N	−13B	4.5	40.5	43.0	17.75	1667	+101.2
27	Mmakou, Lesedi	1635	RSA	+45N	−3B	+42N	=24B	−18N	+17B	−23N	+29B	−12N	4.5	38.5	40.5	16.75	1555	-29.6
28	Barry, Tyler	1461	RSA	=31B	−5N	+30B	−20N	=34B	−14N	=42B	+44N	+37B	4.5	35.5	37.5	15.25	1563	+32.4
29	Grobler, Rowan	1448	RSA	−12B	−14N	+41B	−30N	+45B	=33B	+43N	−27N	+36B	4.5	33.0	35.0	13.00	1533	+32.8
30	Feuth, Alexander	1541	RSA	=9N	−39B	−28N	+29B	+43N	−22B	−32N	+47B	+38N	4.5	32.0	33.5	14.75	1609	+15.6
31	Banda, Benjamin	1717	RSA	=28N	=16B	+33N	−6B	=17N	+32B	=26N	−10B	−21N	4.0	40.5	44.5	18.00	1483	-102.0
32	Ramaboa, Thando	0	RSA	=39N	−19B	+38B	+21N	−20B	−31N	+30B	=36N	−18N	4.0	35.5	38.5	16.25	1572	0.0
33	de Villiers, HJ	1595	RSA	−4B	+48N	−31B	+47N	−11B	=29N	+38B	−16N	=34B	4.0	35.0	36.5	10.75	1551	-21.6
34	Bantseke, Boikanyo	1511	RSA	−18N	−22B	+49N	−25B	=28N	+44B	−17N	+42B	=33N	4.0	32.5	32.5	8.75	1347	-45.6
35	Veldtman, Juan-Aiden	1531	RSA	−23B	−36N	+48B	−14N	+42B	−21N	+45B	+39B	−19N	4.0	31.0	32.5	9.00	1441	-27.2
36	Myburgh, Zandre	1525	RSA	−26N	+35B	+16N	−4N	+14B	−25B	−15N	=32B	−29N	3.5	40.5	44.5	17.00	1494	-14.0
37	Tshetlhe, Blessing	1573	RSA	−3N	+46B	−10N	+44B	+39N	=23B	−24N	−22B	−28N	3.5	35.0	37.0	9.25	1421	-48.4
38	Ramonyai, Maribe	1537	RSA	=19N	−9B	−32N	+49B	+40N	−24B	−33N	+43B	−30B	3.5	33.0	33.0	8.00	1539	-2.0
39	Khumalo, Siyabonga Samuel Khutso	1579	RSA	=32B	+30N	=23B	−12N	−37B	+40N	−14B	−35N	F	3.0	34.5	36.0	11.75	1496	-31.9
40	Kemp, Jowan	1596	RSA	−8B	+41N	−13B	+45N	−38B	−39B	+46N	−19B	−42N	3.0	30.0	32.0	7.00	1349	-72.4
41	Ralebenya, Lebenya	0	RSA	−10N	−40B	−29N	F	−21B	−42N	+49N	+48B	+46B	3.0	24.0	24.0	3.50	1321	-27.2
42	Bain, Caden	0	RSA	F	−12N	−27B	−16B	−35N	+41B	=28N	−34N	+40B	2.5	34.0	34.0	8.25	1415	0.0
43	Horn, Renier	1569	RSA	−11B	+44N	=20B	−26N	−30B	+47N	−29B	−38N	F	2.5	31.0	31.0	6.00	1303	-93.2
44	Botha, Lukas	0	RSA	−17N	−43B	F	−37N	=47B	−34N	+48N	−28B	=45B	2.0	25.0	25.0	3.25	1292	0.0
45	FIDE 534039163	0	—	−27B	F	−17N	−40B	−29N	=48B	−35N	+49B	=44N	2.0	25.0	25.0	1.75	1143	0.0
46	FIDE 534010130	0	—	−20B	−37N	−47B	+48N	+49B	−16N	−40B	F	−41N	2.0	23.0	23.0	1.50	1204	0.0
47	Gweshe, Tafadzwa	1476	RSA	−24N	−21B	+46N	−33B	=44N	−43B	F	−30N	F	1.5	27.5	27.5	3.00	815	-62.8
48	GROVE, Jacques	1417	RSA	−25N	−33B	−35N	−46B	F	=45N	−44B	−41N	+49N	1.5	21.5	21.5	1.00	730	-56.0
49	FIDE 534010149	0	—	−13B	−15N	−34B	−38N	−46N	F	−41B	−45N	−48B	0.0	27.0	27.0	0.00	720	0.0

Key insights

Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.

Top rating gainers

1Murray, JaydonRSA
+170.0
6.0 pts · #6
2Changara, AdielRSA
+101.2
4.5 pts · #14
3Mangala, SiboneloRSA
+76.0
5.5 pts · #10

Top rating losers

1Banda, BenjaminRSA
-102.0
4.0 pts · #30
2Horn, RenierRSA
-93.2
2.5 pts · #40
3Kemp, JowanRSA
-72.4
3.0 pts · #45

Biggest upsets

R2+349 Elo gap
Slabbert, Zander Nicolaas1676 beat Claassen, Raynier2025
R6+298 Elo gap
Murray, Jaydon1456 beat Khan, Mohammed Zayan1754
R1+262 Elo gap
Murray, Jaydon1456 beat Molele, Lesedi1718