Mpumalanga Chess Open 2026 (A)

Open SwissStandard

40 players participated in this 6-round tournament, held from 25 Apr 2026 to 26 Apr 2026 in Middleburg, South Africa. 1 titled players from 3 federations. Top 10 Elo average was 1761, and top seed was Bafana Sgudhla (🇿🇦 RSA, 1791).

Bafana Sgudhla (🇿🇦 RSA, 1791) won with 5.5/6, ahead of Thabang Mphahlele (5.0) and Nqobani Ndimande (5.0). Sgudhla clinched sole first place in the final round.

The biggest upset came in round 5: Phumuza Tholo (1441) beat Dlamini Simphiwe (CM, 1782), a +341-point gap.

Location

🇿🇦Middleburg, South Africa

Dates

25 Apr 2026 → 26 Apr 2026

Time control

Standard: 50 minutes with 10 seconds increment from move 1

System

Swiss · 6 rounds

Top seed

🇿🇦Bafana Sgudhla1791

Avg top 10

1,761

Participants

Titled players · 1

CM×1

Federations · 3 represented

🇿🇦South Africa×27

🇸🇿Eswatini×5

🇲🇿Mozambique×2

Top 3

🥇
Bafana Sgudhla
🇿🇦RSA·1791
5.5pts·2104perf+72.8
🥈
Thabang Mphahlele
🇿🇦RSA·1746
5.0pts·1955perf+21.8
🥉
Nqobani Ndimande
🇿🇦RSA
5.0pts·1767perf0.0

How it unfolded

Top 6 · 6 rounds

Bafana Sgudhla led from R6; +0.5-point edge over the runner-up. Title race converged from 2 co-leaders at R4 to 1 by R6.

Co-leaders

Sgudhla5.5Ndimande5Mphahlele5Jele5Kenny4.5De Nobrega4.5

R6 · LEADER CHANGE26 Apr

Bafana Sgudhla takes the sole lead (5.5/6).

WIN STREAKS · 3 top finishers

Bafana Sgudhla 3 wins (R4–R6)Nqobani Ndimande 4 wins (R3–R6)Thabang Mphahlele 5 wins (R1–R5)

Key matchups · top 4

Head-to-head between the four finishers

Player	1	2	3	4
1Bafana Sgudhla	*	—	1	—
2Nqobani Ndimande	—	*	—	—
3Thabang Mphahlele	0	—	*	—
4Nkosikhona Jele	—	—	—	*

Grille américaine

#	Player	Elo	Fed	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	Pts	Bu C1	Bu	SB	Perf	Δ
1	Sgudhla, Bafana	1791	RSA	+20B	+24N	=6B	+5N	+11B	+2N	5.5	20.0	22.0	19.75	2104	+72.8
2	Mphahlele, Thabang	1746	RSA	+28N	+40B	+15N	+10B	+7N	−1B	5.0	18.0	18.0	12.50	1955	+21.8
3	Ndimande, Nqobani	0	RSA	+27N	−19B	+34N	+32B	+10N	+7B	5.0	13.5	14.5	12.00	1767	0.0
4	Jele, Nkosikhona	1724	RSA	+39N	+33B	−10N	+19B	+12N	+16B	5.0	13.5	13.5	10.00	1833	+17.6
5	De Nobrega, Santiago	1788	SWZ	+26N	+25B	=19N	−1B	+14N	+8B	4.5	17.5	19.5	12.75	1763	-2.4
6	Kenny, Surprise	1773	RSA	+8N	+38B	=1N	−11B	+25N	+19B	4.5	17.5	17.5	11.25	1788	+6.8
7	Manana, Kenneth	1702	RSA	+21B	+35N	+13B	+9N	−2B	−3N	4.0	20.0	21.0	11.00	1869	+13.4
8	Tholo, Phumuza	1441	RSA	−6B	+27B	+40N	+24N	+15B	−5N	4.0	16.0	16.0	7.00	1818	+90.8
9	Kagande, Kieth	1777	RSA	+18N	+32B	+36N	−7B	−16N	+30B	4.0	13.5	14.5	7.50	1738	-10.0
10	Phiri, Allie	1775	RSA	+17B	+37N	+4B	−2N	−3B	=23N	3.5	20.5	21.5	10.25	1774	+1.6
11	Sonjica, Ntsikelelo	1678	RSA	=22B	+14N	+31B	+6N	−1N	−15B	3.5	19.0	21.0	11.25	1758	+17.2
12	Matjokane, Solomon	0	RSA	−16B	+17N	=20B	+13N	−4B	+21N	3.5	17.0	19.5	10.25	1625	0.0
13	Schutte, Rico	1709	RSA	=14B	+22N	−7N	−12B	+26N	+20B	3.5	16.0	18.0	8.75	1735	+2.0
14	Sibanyoni, Ruphas	0	RSA	=13N	−11B	+29B	+20N	−5B	+24N	3.5	16.0	18.0	8.25	1682	0.0
15	Dlamini SimphiweCM	1782	SWZ	+30B	+16N	−2B	F	−8N	+11N	3.0	17.5	18.5	8.50	1683	-11.2
16	Ragedi, Enos	1642	RSA	+12N	−15B	+38N	F	+9B	−4N	3.0	16.5	16.5	7.50	1636	-0.8
17	Botha, Johannes Cornel	1477	RSA	−10N	−12B	+26N	−33B	+34N	+29B	3.0	12.0	13.0	5.00	1780	+46.8
18	Tfwala Nkosivile	1484	SWZ	−9B	−29N	−28B	+27B	+38N	+33N	3.0	11.0	11.0	3.00	1751	+26.0
19	Ngwenya Kwanele Mangaliso	1709	SWZ	F	+3N	=5B	−4N	+21B	−6N	2.5	21.5	21.5	9.75	1489	-15.6
20	Manjate, Gil Filipe	1573	MOZ	−1N	+39B	=12N	−14B	+33N	−13N	2.5	17.0	17.0	2.75	950	-21.6
21	Philison, Mandla	0	RSA	−7N	+26B	=25N	+34B	−19N	−12B	2.5	14.0	15.0	4.00	1636	0.0
22	Van Der Meer, Marien Johan Le	0	RSA	=11N	−13B	+27N	=25B	−30N	=32B	2.5	13.0	14.5	5.50	1578	0.0
23	Ngwako, Vuyo Stoffel	0	RSA	−31B	+30N	−24B	F	+32N	=10B	2.5	11.5	13.0	5.25	1649	0.0
24	Maluleke, Pfumelani	1657	RSA	F	−1B	+23N	−8B	+28N	−14B	2.0	17.5	17.5	4.50	816	-22.2
25	Brits, Etienne	1577	RSA	F	−5N	=21B	=22N	−6B	+28B	2.0	16.0	16.0	4.50	981	-19.2
26	Senthumule, Meshack	1554	RSA	−5B	−21N	−17B	+39N	−13B	+35N	2.0	14.5	14.5	1.00	858	-22.2
27	Cumbane. Augusto Elidio	1726	MOZ	−3B	−8N	−22B	−18N	+39B	+38N	2.0	14.5	14.5	0.00	663	-32.8
28	Van Dalen, Lenert	0	RSA	−2B	−34B	+18N	+35N	−24B	−25N	2.0	13.0	14.0	4.00	1381	0.0
29	FIDE 534048553	0	—	F	+18B	−14N	F	+35B	−17N	2.0	13.0	13.0	4.00	1481	0.0
30	Wany, Jobert	1546	RSA	−15N	−23B	+39N	F	+22B	−9N	2.0	12.0	12.0	2.50	979	-16.4
31	Nxumalo, Vuyo	1688	SWZ	+23N	−36B	−11N	+38B	F	F	2.0	7.0	7.0	2.50	903	-19.2
32	Maseko, Unathi	1570	RSA	F	−9N	+35B	−3N	−23B	=22N	1.5	15.0	15.0	2.25	976	-4.8
33	FIDE 534048561	0	—	F	−4N	−37B	+17N	−20B	−18B	1.0	14.5	14.5	3.00	1372	0.0
34	mathabe, kabelo	1638	RSA	−35B	+28N	−3B	−21N	−17B	F	1.0	13.5	13.5	2.00	677	-28.4
35	FIDE 534048570	0	—	+34N	−7B	−32N	−28B	−29N	−26B	1.0	11.5	12.5	1.00	1425	0.0
36	Zitha, Sifiso	1727	RSA	F	+31N	−9B	F	F	F	1.0	9.0	9.0	2.00	1732	+0.8
37	Mazhuwa, Ronald	0	RSA	F	−10B	+33N	F	F	F	1.0	7.5	7.5	1.00	974	0.0
38	FIDE 14319810	0	—	F	−6N	−16B	−31N	−18B	−27B	0.0	14.5	14.5	0.00	863	0.0
39	FIDE 534037632	0	—	−4B	−20N	−30B	−26B	−27N	F	0.0	13.5	14.5	0.00	825	0.0
40	FIDE 14349604	0	—	F	−2N	−8B	F	F	F	0.0	11.0	11.0	0.00	794	0.0

Key insights

Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.

Top rating gainers

1Tholo, PhumuzaRSA
+90.8
4.0 pts · #8
2Sgudhla, BafanaRSA
+72.8
5.5 pts · #1
3Botha, Johannes CornelRSA
+46.8
3.0 pts · #16

Top rating losers

1Cumbane. Augusto ElidioMOZ
-32.8
2.0 pts · #37
2mathabe, kabeloRSA
-28.4
1.0 pts · #30
3Senthumule, MeshackRSA
-22.2
2.0 pts · #28

Biggest upsets

R5+341 Elo gap
Tholo, Phumuza1441 beat CMDlamini Simphiwe1782
R2+285 Elo gap
Tholo, Phumuza1441 beat Cumbane. Augusto Elidio1726
R4+242 Elo gap
Tfwala Nkosivile1484 beat Cumbane. Augusto Elidio1726