2026 South African Junior Closed (U18 Boys)

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52 players participated in this 9-round tournament, held from 28 Mar 2026 to 02 Apr 2026 in Rustenburg, South Africa. 1 titled players. Top 10 Elo average was 1865, and top seed was Jorah Soojay (🇿🇦 RSA, FM, 2136).

Edward Potgieter (🇿🇦 RSA, 1956) won with 7.0/9, ahead of Dewald Coetsee (7.0) and Stephen Bulelani (6.5). Potgieter shared the lead from round 5, winning on tie-break.

The biggest upset came in round 3: Tristan Jonkers (1518) beat Kirthan Naidoo (1767), a +249-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

🇿🇦FMJorah Soojay2136

Avg top 10

1,865

Participants

Titled players · 1

FM×1

Federations · 1 represented

🇿🇦South Africa×52

Top 3

🥇
Edward Potgieter
🇿🇦RSA·1956
7.0pts·2007perf+29.6
🥈
Dewald Coetsee
🇿🇦RSA·1927
7.0pts·2005perf+35.2
🥉
Stephen Bulelani
🇿🇦RSA·1908
6.5pts·1958perf+30.0

How it unfolded

Top 6 · 9 rounds

Tight race until R9; 2 players tied at 7.0/9, decided on Buchholz.

Co-leaders

Potgieter7Coetsee7Bulelani6.5Vorster6Masango6Sehularo6

R9 · TIEBREAK CLUSTER

2 players finish on 7.0/9. Potgieter takes the title on Buchholz Cut1 (45.5).

R8 · HEAD-TO-HEAD · WINNER VS 2ND

Edward Potgieter drew with Dewald Coetsee (Black).

WIN STREAKS · 3 top finishers

Edward Potgieter 3+3 wins (R1–R3, R5–R7)Dewald Coetsee 3 wins (R5–R7)Stephen Bulelani 3 wins (R2–R4)

Key matchups · top 4

Head-to-head between the four finishers

Player	1	2	3	4
1Edward Potgieter	*	½	½	—
2Dewald Coetsee	½	*	—	1
3Stephen Bulelani	½	—	*	—
4Paul Vorster	—	0	—	*

Grille américaine

#	Player	Elo	Fed	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9	Pts	Bu C1	Bu	SB	Perf	Δ
1	Potgieter, Edward	1956	RSA	+24N	+10B	+19N	−14B	+15N	+4B	+8B	=2N	=3B	7.0	45.5	50.0	38.25	2007	+29.6
2	Coetsee, Dewald	1927	RSA	+34B	=15N	+23B	=17N	+16B	+6N	+14N	=1B	=5N	7.0	43.5	47.5	36.00	2005	+35.2
3	Bulelani, Stephen	1908	RSA	=8N	+50B	+32N	+4B	−14N	+20B	=5N	+9B	=1N	6.5	44.0	46.0	31.75	1958	+30.0
4	Sehularo, Kganya	1894	RSA	+26B	+21N	+30B	−3N	+23B	−1N	=6B	=18N	+11B	6.0	44.0	48.0	29.00	1847	-14.4
5	Retief, Matthew	1770	RSA	=35N	+18B	+22N	=41B	+10N	=14B	=3B	=6N	=2B	6.0	44.0	47.5	31.50	1875	+48.0
6	Vorster, Paul	1760	RSA	+38N	+16B	−14N	+24B	+41N	−2B	=4N	=5B	+20N	6.0	42.5	46.0	28.00	1886	+57.6
7	Masango, Sobangane	1606	RSA	−9N	+49B	−20N	+52B	=19N	+48B	=25N	+16B	+15N	6.0	35.0	36.0	20.75	1796	+91.6
8	Schroeder, Liam	1520	RSA	=3B	−11N	+45B	+32B	+33N	+13B	−1N	−12N	+25B	5.5	42.5	45.5	24.25	1827	+137.2
9	Naidoo, Kirthan	1767	RSA	+7B	=28N	−41B	=31B	+27N	+23N	+22B	−3N	=12B	5.5	40.5	44.0	27.00	1775	+3.6
10	Boheim, Eugene	1660	RSA	+52B	−1N	+40B	+11N	−5B	=17N	−21B	+41N	+23B	5.5	40.5	41.5	21.00	1759	+48.4
11	Difotso, Lebogang	1776	RSA	=50N	+8B	=15N	−10B	+38N	+31B	+16N	=14B	−4N	5.5	40.0	42.0	24.50	1773	-2.0
12	Elvin, David	1709	RSA	+37N	−14B	−24N	=18B	+40N	+33B	=20N	+8B	=9N	5.5	38.5	42.5	25.25	1744	+1.6
13	Machet, Jordan	1755	RSA	+29B	−23N	+34B	=21N	+17B	−8N	−18B	+24N	+27B	5.5	38.5	42.5	25.00	1696	-29.2
14	Soojay, JorahFM	2136	RSA	F	+12N	+6B	+1N	+3B	=5N	−2B	=11N	F	5.0	48.5	48.5	30.75	1992	-36.4
15	Jugree, Arav	1711	RSA	+36N	=2B	=11B	+30N	−1B	+41N	=19B	=17N	−7B	5.0	43.5	47.0	22.75	1747	+16.4
16	Booysen, Jait	1700	RSA	+46B	−6N	+27B	+25B	−2N	+21N	−11B	−7N	+30B	5.0	42.5	45.5	21.00	1717	+8.0
17	Mdluli, Siyabonga	1731	RSA	+31N	=22B	+28N	=2B	−13N	=10B	+24N	=15B	F	5.0	42.0	46.0	24.25	1763	+13.2
18	Voigt, Daniel	1564	RSA	=32B	−5N	+26B	=12N	=25N	+39B	+13N	=4B	−19N	5.0	41.0	45.0	24.00	1792	+106.8
19	CHIPUNZA, James	1723	RSA	+27B	+42N	−1B	−23N	=7B	F	=15N	+21N	+18B	5.0	41.0	44.5	23.50	1776	+20.0
20	Maroba, Mark	1721	RSA	−30B	+45N	+7B	=33N	+35B	−3N	=12B	+22N	−6B	5.0	41.0	44.0	22.75	1707	-11.6
21	Byliefeldt, Leroux	1655	RSA	+47N	−4B	+38N	=13B	=31N	−16B	+10N	−19B	+35N	5.0	39.0	42.0	21.25	1721	+30.0
22	Jones, Edward	1670	RSA	+43B	=17N	−5B	=36N	+30B	+42N	−9N	−20B	+26N	5.0	37.5	41.0	20.00	1687	+8.4
23	Rossouw, Johrne	1713	RSA	+49N	+13B	−2N	+19B	−4N	−9B	+31N	=25B	−10N	4.5	43.0	45.5	19.25	1699	-6.0
24	Lau, Callum	1563	RSA	−1B	+52N	+12B	−6N	=36B	+34N	−17B	−13B	+31N	4.5	41.0	42.0	16.50	1652	+30.8
25	Mqweba, Elam	1740	RSA	=41B	=33N	+29B	−16N	=18B	+36N	=7B	=23N	−8N	4.5	38.5	42.0	20.00	1596	-68.0
26	Van Der Merwe, Devan	1630	RSA	−4N	=36B	−18N	=50B	+37N	+46B	=41B	+32N	−22B	4.5	34.5	36.5	15.75	1621	-5.6
27	Jiki, Sandiso	1597	RSA	−19N	+51B	−16N	+34N	−9B	=44N	+48B	+39B	−13N	4.5	34.5	36.0	13.50	1642	+18.0
28	Horn, Evan	1693	RSA	+44N	=9B	−17B	−35N	−48N	−37B	+43B	+47N	+41B	4.5	31.5	34.0	15.75	1587	-47.6
29	Steyn, Tjaart	1615	RSA	−13N	+47B	−25N	=37B	−39N	−40B	+52B	+48N	+42B	4.5	31.0	32.0	12.00	1633	+8.8
30	Marais, Nathan	1545	RSA	+20N	+48B	−4N	−15B	−22N	+38B	−32N	+40B	−16N	4.0	38.0	40.5	15.50	1659	+52.0
31	Buthelezi, Thandolwethu	0	RSA	−17B	+43N	+42B	=9N	=21B	−11N	−23B	+36N	−24B	4.0	37.5	41.0	16.25	1605	0.0
32	Powell, Dominic	1738	RSA	=18N	+35B	−3B	−8N	−42B	+43N	+30B	−26B	=33N	4.0	37.0	40.5	16.00	1560	-81.2
33	Amachukwu, Joseph	1581	RSA	=48N	=25B	+39N	=20B	−8B	−12N	=42B	=34N	=32B	4.0	36.0	38.5	15.75	1646	+32.0
34	Marimuthu, Shaylen	1592	RSA	−2N	+37B	−13N	−27B	+52N	−24B	+49N	=33B	=39N	4.0	36.0	37.0	11.50	1589	-5.2
35	Schultz, Jade	1613	RSA	=5B	−32N	+48N	+28B	−20N	F	=44B	+45N	−21B	4.0	35.5	38.0	14.50	1667	+24.0
36	Ngudle, Mandisi	1554	RSA	−15B	=26N	+50N	=22B	=24N	−25B	=40N	−31B	+44N	4.0	34.5	36.5	14.00	1613	+24.8
37	Changara, Adrian Tafara	1584	RSA	−12B	−34N	+46B	=29N	−26B	+28N	−39N	+44B	=38N	4.0	34.0	37.0	14.75	1570	-6.4
38	Kameel, Lindon	1603	RSA	−6B	+46N	−21B	+44N	−11B	−30N	+47B	=42N	=37B	4.0	34.0	37.0	12.75	1550	-24.4
39	Mittermaier, Gunther	1734	RSA	=45B	−41N	−33B	+43N	+29B	−18N	+37B	−27N	=34B	4.0	33.0	36.0	15.50	1516	-106.4
40	Lewaks, Shaundre	1531	RSA	F	+44B	−10N	=42N	−12B	+29N	=36B	−30N	+45B	4.0	33.0	33.0	14.25	1596	+27.6
41	Jonkers, Tristan	1518	RSA	=25N	+39B	+9N	=5N	−6B	−15B	=26N	−10B	−28N	3.5	41.5	45.5	17.00	1640	+52.4
42	Mtshekexe, Usemhle	1654	RSA	+51N	−19B	−31N	=40B	+32N	−22B	=33N	=38B	−29N	3.5	34.5	36.0	11.50	1535	-46.4
43	Pedersen, Jj	1437	RSA	−22N	−31B	=49N	−39B	+51N	−32B	−28N	+46B	+50N	3.5	29.0	30.5	7.75	1523	0.0
44	Fourie, Neelon	1442	RSA	−28B	−40N	+47N	−38B	+50N	=27B	=35N	−37N	−36B	3.0	32.0	34.0	9.25	1459	+7.2
45	Swart, Ruan	1563	RSA	=39N	−20B	−8N	−48B	=49N	+50B	+46N	−35B	−40N	3.0	30.5	32.5	8.25	1477	-41.6
46	Du Toit, Jaunre	1455	RSA	−16N	−38B	−37N	+51B	+47B	−26N	−45B	−43N	+49N	3.0	29.5	31.0	7.00	1360	-40.4
47	Fouche, Heinrich	1470	RSA	−21B	−29N	−44B	+49B	−46N	+51B	−38N	−28B	+52N	3.0	28.0	29.0	5.00	1355	-46.8
48	Maluleka, Mahlatsi	1748	RSA	=33B	−30N	−35B	+45N	+28B	−7N	−27N	−29B	F	2.5	34.5	36.0	9.50	1461	-122.0
49	Saunders, John	1459	RSA	−23B	−7N	=43B	−47N	=45B	+52N	−34B	=51N	−46B	2.5	28.5	29.5	5.00	1342	-48.4
50	Padi, Paleo	1617	RSA	=11B	−3N	−36B	=26N	−44B	−45N	−51B	+52N	−43B	2.0	31.5	32.5	6.00	1401	-90.4
51	Mokoena, Bokamoso	0	RSA	−42B	−27N	−52B	−46N	−43B	−47N	+50N	=49B	F	1.5	24.5	25.5	3.25	1265	0.0
52	Van Wyk, Ruan	1463	RSA	−10N	−24B	+51N	−7N	−34B	−49B	−29N	−50B	−47B	1.0	32.0	33.5	1.50	773	-113.6

Key insights

Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.

Top rating gainers

1Schroeder, LiamRSA
+137.2
5.5 pts · #8
2Voigt, DanielRSA
+106.8
5.0 pts · #13
3Masango, SobanganeRSA
+91.6
6.0 pts · #5

Top rating losers

1Maluleka, MahlatsiRSA
-122.0
2.5 pts · #44
2Van Wyk, RuanRSA
-113.6
1.0 pts · #52
3Mittermaier, GuntherRSA
-106.4
4.0 pts · #26

Biggest upsets

R3+249 Elo gap
Jonkers, Tristan1518 beat Naidoo, Kirthan1767
R6+235 Elo gap
Schroeder, Liam1520 beat Machet, Jordan1755
R9+220 Elo gap
Schroeder, Liam1520 beat Mqweba, Elam1740