2026 Durban Chess Club Championships
28 players participated in this 9-round tournament, held from 16 Apr 2026 to 19 Jun 2026 in Durban, South Africa. Top 10 Elo average was 1761, and top seed was Jason James Subke (🇿🇦 RSA, 1900).
Lubanzi Makaula (🇿🇦 RSA, 1641) won with 7.5/9, ahead of Jason James Subke (7.0) and Thapelo Isack Matsaung (6.5). Makaula shared the lead from round 5 and won solo starting round 6.
The biggest upset came in round 1: Thubelihle Hadebe (1590) beat Jason James Subke (1900), a +310-point gap.
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How it unfolded
Top 6 · 9 roundsLubanzi Makaula led from R6; +0.5-point edge over the runner-up.
Lubanzi Makaula takes the sole lead (5.0/6).
Lubanzi Makaula drew with Jason James Subke (White).
Lubanzi Makaula 3 wins (R1–R3)Jason James Subke 4 wins (R2–R5)Thapelo Isack Matsaung 4 wins (R1–R4)
Key matchups · top 4
Head-to-head between the four finishers| Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Lubanzi Makaula | * | ½ | 0 | 1 |
| 2Jason James Subke | ½ | * | ½ | 1 |
| 3Thapelo Isack Matsaung | 1 | ½ | * | — |
| 4Cyril T. Danisa | 0 | 0 | — | * |
Grille américaine
| # | Player | Elo | Fed | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 | R9 | Pts | Bu C1 | Bu | SB | Perf | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Makaula, Lubanzi | 1641 | RSA | +16B | +4N | +5B | −3B | +6N | +7N | =2B | +8N | +11B | 7.5 | 41.5 | 44.0 | 34.00 | 1980 | +125.2 |
| 2 | Subke, Jason James | 1900 | RSA | −20N | +23B | +18B | +9N | +4B | =3N | =1N | +10B | +7N | 7.0 | 35.5 | 36.5 | 28.00 | 1847 | -6.4 |
| 3 | Matsaung, Thapelo Isack | 1839 | RSA | +7B | +25N | +9B | +1N | F | =2B | F | +5N | +8B | 6.5 | 41.0 | 42.0 | 29.50 | 2079 | +25.4 |
| 4 | Danisa, Cyril T. | 1806 | RSA | +28N | −1B | +20N | +12B | −2N | −8B | =7N | +6B | +10N | 5.5 | 36.5 | 36.5 | 15.75 | 1751 | -6.2 |
| 5 | Mgobhozi, Sivuyile W. | 1682 | RSA | +23N | +17B | −1N | +13B | F | +12N | +18B | −3B | F | 5.0 | 32.0 | 32.0 | 11.50 | 1716 | +9.2 |
| 6 | Mgaga, Bongani | 1874 | RSA | F | +10N | +19B | +7N | −1B | F | +12B | −4N | +13B | 5.0 | 29.5 | 29.5 | 16.50 | 1697 | -40.4 |
| 7 | Sibeko, Musawenkosi | 1533 | RSA | −3N | +14B | +8N | −6B | +19N | −1B | =4B | +9N | −2B | 4.5 | 42.5 | 44.5 | 15.75 | 1643 | +28.8 |
| 8 | FIDE 534051074 | 0 | — | =?B | =12N | −7B | +18N | +9B | +4N | F | −1B | −3N | 4.0 | 39.5 | 39.5 | 13.00 | 1661 | 0.0 |
| 9 | Nowbath, Hemant | 1682 | RSA | +10B | +27N | −3N | −2B | −8N | +19B | =15N | −7B | =18N | 4.0 | 33.0 | 33.5 | 9.00 | 1586 | -32.0 |
| 10 | Khan, John M | 1441 | RSA | −9N | −6B | +14N | +16B | −12N | +17B | +27B | −2N | −4B | 4.0 | 32.5 | 33.0 | 8.50 | 1440 | -6.4 |
| 11 | Dunkley, Jaydon | 1606 | RSA | F | +16N | +27B | F | F | +13N | F | +17B | −1N | 4.0 | 16.0 | 16.0 | 8.50 | 1606 | 0.0 |
| 12 | Atkinson, Craig | 1510 | RSA | =21N | =8B | +22N | −4N | +10B | −5B | −6N | F | F | 3.0 | 26.0 | 26.0 | 7.75 | 1570 | +8.4 |
| 13 | FIDE 534051317 | 0 | — | +?N | −21B | +17N | −5N | F | −11B | +16B | F | −6N | 3.0 | 21.0 | 21.0 | 5.00 | 1549 | 0.0 |
| 14 | FIDE 534055606 | 0 | — | −25B | −7N | −10B | =27N | +22N | +24B | =17N | F | F | 3.0 | 14.5 | 14.5 | 3.50 | 1232 | 0.0 |
| 15 | FIDE 123104751 | 0 | — | F | F | +24N | +22B | F | F | =9B | F | =16N | 3.0 | 14.0 | 14.0 | 5.25 | 1682 | 0.0 |
| 16 | FIDE 534055614 | 0 | — | −1N | −11B | F | −10N | F | +22B | −13N | +23B | =15B | 2.5 | 23.5 | 23.5 | 3.50 | 755 | 0.0 |
| 17 | Mbewe, Lumi | 1565 | RSA | +22B | −5N | −13B | F | +24N | −10N | =14B | −11N | F | 2.5 | 21.0 | 21.0 | 3.50 | 776 | -62.4 |
| 18 | Dawah, Dhyan | 1524 | RSA | F | =20B | −2N | −8B | F | +27N | −5N | F | =9B | 2.0 | 28.0 | 28.0 | 3.25 | 1521 | -28.0 |
| 19 | Kharwa, Suleman | 1486 | RSA | −26N | +24B | −6N | F | −7B | −9N | F | +22B | F | 2.0 | 18.5 | 18.5 | 2.00 | 898 | -40.0 |
| 20 | Hadebe, Thubelihle | 1590 | RSA | +2B | =18N | −4B | F | F | F | F | F | F | 1.5 | 20.0 | 20.0 | 8.00 | 1789 | +29.2 |
| 21 | Puran, Madhav | 1841 | RSA | =12B | +13N | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | 1.5 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 4.50 | 1510 | -13.2 |
| 22 | FIDE 534025529 | 0 | — | −17N | F | −12B | −15N | −14B | −16N | +24B | −19N | −23B | 1.0 | 18.0 | 18.0 | 1.00 | 730 | 0.0 |
| 23 | FIDE 534018140 | 0 | — | −5B | −2N | F | −24B | F | F | F | −16N | +22N | 1.0 | 16.5 | 16.5 | 1.00 | 992 | 0.0 |
| 24 | FIDE 534055584 | 0 | — | F | −19N | −15B | +23N | −17B | −14N | −22N | F | F | 1.0 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 1.00 | 740 | 0.0 |
| 25 | Puran, Ahdir | 1648 | RSA | +14N | −3B | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | 1.0 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 3.00 | 1041 | -5.0 |
| 26 | Msimango, Senzo | 1701 | RSA | +19B | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.00 | 2286 | +4.6 |
| 27 | FIDE 534025553 | 0 | — | F | −9B | −11N | =14B | F | −18B | −10N | F | F | 0.5 | 23.5 | 23.5 | 1.50 | 796 | 0.0 |
| 28 | Gurayah, Kairav | 1437 | RSA | −4B | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | 0.0 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 0.00 | 1005 | -3.2 |
Key insights
Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.
- 1Makaula, LubanziRSA+125.27.5 pts · #4
- 2Hadebe, ThubelihleRSA+29.21.5 pts · #11
- 3Sibeko, MusawenkosiRSA+28.84.5 pts · #9
- 1Mbewe, LumiRSA-62.42.5 pts · #25
- 2Mgaga, BonganiRSA-40.45.0 pts · #6
- 3Kharwa, SulemanRSA-40.02.0 pts · #21
- R1+310 Elo gap
- R5+233 Elo gap
- R2+165 Elo gap