2026 Buffalo City Chess Trials 3 (U16)
Open SwissStandard
30 players participated in this 5-round tournament, held on 21 Feb 2026 in East London, South Africa. 3 federations represented. Top 10 Elo average was 1602, and top seed was Chezhaan Ethan Adams (🇿🇦 RSA, 1724).
Viha Beecum (🇿🇦 RSA, 1630) won with 4.5/5, ahead of Jedidiah Panashe Mabhera (4.5) and Ethan Mazikana (4.0). Beecum shared the lead from round 1, winning on tie-break.
Location
🇿🇦East London, South Africa
Dates
21 Feb 2026
Time control
Standard: 50 minutes with 10 seconds increment from move 1
System
Swiss · 5 rounds
Federations · 3 represented
🇿🇦South Africa×16
FIDE (no federation)×1
🇿🇼Zimbabwe×1
Top 3
- 🥇
- 🥈
- 🥉
How it unfolded
Top 6 · 5 roundsTight race until R5; 2 players tied at 4.5/5, decided on Buchholz.
Co-leaders
17
7
2
1
2
R5 · TIEBREAK CLUSTER
2 players finish on 4.5/5. Beecum takes the title on Buchholz Cut1 (13.0).
R1–R4 · WIN STREAK
Viha Beecum won 4 in a row (R1–R4).
Key matchups · top 4
Head-to-head between the four finishers| Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Jedidiah Panashe Mabhera | * | — | ½ | — |
| 2Viha Beecum | — | * | ½ | — |
| 3Ethan Mazikana | ½ | ½ | * | — |
| 4Chezhaan Ethan Adams | — | — | — | * |
Grille américaine
| # | Player | Elo | Fed | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | Pts | Bu C1 | Bu | SB | Perf | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beecum, Viha | 1630 | RSA | +10B | +13N | +11B | +9N | =3B | 4.5 | 13.0 | 16.0 | 14.00 | 1886 | +38.4 |
| 2 | Mabhera, Jedidiah Panashe | 1587 | ZIM | +22B | +16N | =3B | +11N | +9B | 4.5 | 13.0 | 15.0 | 13.00 | 1886 | +37.2 |
| 3 | Mazikana, Ethan | 1656 | RSA | +21N | +14B | =2N | +6B | =1N | 4.0 | 15.5 | 17.5 | 13.00 | 1691 | +14.4 |
| 4 | Fricke, Leon | 1587 | FID | +28N | =6B | +12N | =5B | +10N | 4.0 | 13.5 | 15.5 | 11.75 | 1724 | +10.0 |
| 5 | Adams, Chezhaan Ethan | 1724 | RSA | +15B | =18N | +13B | =4N | +19B | 4.0 | 12.5 | 14.5 | 11.25 | 1513 | -21.6 |
| 6 | Halana, Lunjalo | 0 | RSA | +?B | =4N | +22B | −3N | +18B | 3.5 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 6.50 | 1543 | 0.0 |
| 7 | Kingon, Jonah | 1607 | RSA | +23B | −12N | +18B | +16B | =8N | 3.5 | 12.0 | 14.0 | 9.25 | 2292 | +15.2 |
| 8 | FIDE 534011552 | 0 | — | +?N | −17B | +29N | +14B | =7B | 3.5 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 4.75 | 1533 | 0.0 |
| 9 | Beukman, Jonah | 1619 | RSA | +25N | +19B | +17N | −1B | −2N | 3.0 | 14.0 | 16.0 | 7.00 | 1482 | -26.0 |
| 10 | FIDE 534020942 | 0 | — | −1N | +?B | +20N | +12B | −4B | 3.0 | 13.5 | 13.5 | 5.00 | 777 | 0.0 |
| 11 | Canham, Ethan | 1568 | RSA | +20N | +29B | −1N | −2B | +21N | 3.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 4.00 | 826 | -36.4 |
| 12 | Kim, Haeol | 0 | RSA | +?N | +7B | −4B | −10N | +23B | 3.0 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 5.50 | 1558 | 0.0 |
| 13 | Mafukidze, Arnold | 0 | RSA | +?N | −1B | −5N | +24B | +28N | 3.0 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 4.00 | 873 | 0.0 |
| 14 | Petzer, Jayden | 1448 | RSA | +26B | −3N | +23B | −8N | +27B | 3.0 | 11.5 | 13.5 | 6.00 | 803 | -11.6 |
| 15 | FIDE 534021205 | 0 | — | −5N | +24B | +?N | −17B | +20N | 3.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 4.00 | 847 | 0.0 |
| 16 | FIDE 14376024 | 0 | — | +?N | −2B | +?B | −7N | +22B | 3.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 2.00 | 806 | 0.0 |
| 17 | Ngewu, Elowo | 1553 | RSA | +30B | +8N | −9B | +15N | F | 3.0 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 6.50 | 845 | -16.0 |
| 18 | Cewuka, Lunje | 1478 | RSA | +24N | =5B | −7N | +25B | −6N | 2.5 | 13.0 | 15.0 | 6.00 | 1460 | -3.6 |
| 19 | FIDE 534020837 | 0 | — | F | −9N | +27B | +21B | −5N | 2.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 4.00 | 885 | 0.0 |
| 20 | Kwelani, Amvuyele | 1491 | RSA | −11B | +27N | −10B | +?N | −15B | 2.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 2.00 | 791 | -14.4 |
| 21 | FIDE 534042130 | 0 | — | −3B | +26N | +?B | −19N | −11B | 2.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 2.00 | 797 | 0.0 |
| 22 | FIDE 534045929 | 0 | — | −2N | +?B | −6N | +?B | −16N | 2.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 0.00 | 830 | 0.0 |
| 23 | Mpepo, Langalasembo | 0 | RSA | −7N | +?B | −14N | +?B | −12N | 2.0 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 0.00 | 715 | 0.0 |
| 24 | FIDE 534045139 | 0 | — | −18B | −15N | +?B | −13N | +?N | 2.0 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 0.00 | 692 | 0.0 |
| 25 | Kleynhans, Rachelle | 0 | RSA | −9B | −?N | +26B | −18N | +?B | 2.0 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 2.00 | 769 | 0.0 |
| 26 | FIDE 534045171 | 0 | — | −14N | −21B | −25N | +?N | +29B | 2.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 0.00 | 648 | 0.0 |
| 27 | Mnyaka, Isiphile | 0 | RSA | +?N | −20B | −19N | +?B | −14N | 2.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 0.00 | 648 | 0.0 |
| 28 | FIDE 14385309 | 0 | — | −4B | −?N | +?B | +29N | −13B | 2.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 0.00 | 733 | 0.0 |
| 29 | FIDE 534032045 | 0 | — | F | −11N | −8B | −28B | −26N | 0.0 | 10.5 | 10.5 | 0.00 | 791 | 0.0 |
| 30 | FIDE 534045015 | 0 | — | −17N | −?B | −?N | −?N | F | 0.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 0.00 | 769 | 0.0 |
Key insights
Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.
Top rating gainers
- 1Beecum, VihaRSA+38.44.5 pts · #2
- 2Mabhera, Jedidiah PanasheZIM+37.24.5 pts · #1
- 3Kingon, JonahRSA+15.23.5 pts · #8
Top rating losers
- 1Canham, EthanRSA-36.43.0 pts · #12
- 2Beukman, JonahRSA-26.03.0 pts · #7
- 3Adams, Chezhaan EthanRSA-21.64.0 pts · #9