CChessStats

King Cetshwayo 1st Fide Chess Tournament 2026 (A)

Open SwissStandard

22 players participated in this 5-round tournament, held from 18 Apr 2026 to 19 Apr 2026 in Richards Bay, South Africa. Top 10 Elo average was 954, and top seed was Thobani Shabalala (🇿🇦 RSA, 1667).

Thobani Shabalala (🇿🇦 RSA, 1667) won with 4.5/5, ahead of Lubanzi Makaula (4.0) and Gcina Mkhize (4.0). Shabalala clinched sole first place in the final round.

The biggest upset came in round 2: Hezron Soobramoney (1493) beat Dhyan Dawah (1655), a +162-point gap.

Location
🇿🇦Richards Bay, South Africa
Dates
18 Apr 2026 → 19 Apr 2026
Time control
Standard: 60 minutes with 30 seconds increment from move 1
System
Swiss · 5 rounds
Top seed
🇿🇦Thobani Shabalala1667
Avg top 10
954
Participants
22
Federations · 1 represented
🇿🇦South Africa×11
Top 3

How it unfolded

Top 6 · 5 rounds

Thobani Shabalala led from R5; +0.5-point edge over the runner-up.

Co-leaders
13
6
3
1
1
1.52.545R1R2R3R4R5Shabalala takes lead
Shabalala4.5Mkhize44Makaula43.5Buthelezi3.5— ex-leaders:Makaulaled R4, #22
R5 · LEADER CHANGE19 Apr

Thobani Shabalala takes the sole lead (4.5/5).

R3–R5 · WIN STREAK

Thobani Shabalala won 3 in a row (R3–R5).

R4 · FORMER LEADER FALL

Lubanzi Makaula held the sole lead at R4 but finished #22.

Key matchups · top 4

Head-to-head between the four finishers
Player1234
1Thobani Shabalala*——
1
2Gcina Mkhize—*——
3FIDE 534050949——*—
4Lubanzi Makaula
0
——*

Grille américaine

#PlayerEloFedR1R2R3R4R5PtsBu C1BuSBPerfΔ
1Shabalala, Thobani1667RSA+10N=12B+11N+5N+2B4.513.516.014.752423+17.4
2Makaula, Lubanzi1619RSA+17N+21B+9N+6B−1N4.012.512.58.00867-17.2
3Mkhize, Gcina0RSA=13N+?B+12N=?B+8N4.08.08.06.751586+6.4
4FIDE 5340509490—+?N+?B−5B+9N+?N4.06.56.53.0015370.0
5Buthelezi, Thandolwethu0RSA+?N+8B+4N−1B=6N3.515.015.08.75867-20.0
6FIDE 1231088210—+20B+?N+?B−2N=5B3.58.08.02.2515490.0
7Soobramoney, Hezron1493RSA−8N+13B−10N+20B+12N3.011.011.55.502367+48.0
8FIDE 5340454650—+7B−5N+?B+21N−3B3.010.510.53.0015110.0
9FIDE 143963270—+?B+16N−2B−4B+?N3.010.010.02.008190.0
10FIDE 5340454570—−1B+?N+7B−?N+18B3.09.09.04.5015790.0
11Manukuza, Thandokuhle1626RSA−16B+22N−1B+19N+21B3.08.08.01.50867-17.6
12Ellender, Asher0RSA+18B=1N−3B+17N−7B2.513.014.55.251386-23.2
13Dawah, Dhyan1655RSA=3B−7N+18B=15B=14N2.512.013.56.00691-28.8
14FIDE 5340509570—+19B−?N−17B+?N=13B2.55.55.52.7516550.0
15FIDE 5340509300—−?B+20N+19B=13N−?N2.54.54.53.2515500.0
16FIDE 5340510310—+11N−9B−?N−?B+22N2.06.06.03.0015720.0
17FIDE 5340510070—−2B=18N+14N−12B−?B1.510.510.53.258190.0
18FIDE 5340509650—−12N=17B−13N+22B−10N1.59.59.50.758550.0
19Singh, Vrishti0RSA−14N+?B−15N−11B=20N1.58.58.50.2513600.0
20Ngcobo, Andiswa1479RSA−6N−15BF−7N=19B0.510.510.50.75691-19.2
21Bisram, Neha0RSAF−2NF−8B−11N0.010.010.00.00823-42.0
22FIDE 5340510150—−?N−11B−?N−18N−16B0.06.56.50.007720.0

Key insights

Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.

Top rating gainers
Top rating losers
Biggest upsets