Moja Chess Extravaganza 2026 (Prestige)
SwissStandard
31 players participated in this 9-round tournament, held from 25 Apr 2026 to 30 Apr 2026 in Cape Town, South Africa. 15 titled players from 6 federations. Top 10 Elo average was 2279, and top seed was Jan Karsten (🇿🇦 RSA, IM, 2382).
Joseph Mwale (🇲🇼 MAW, FM, 2288) won with 8.0/9, ahead of Jan Karsten (6.5) and Banele Mhango (6.0). Mwale won solo starting round 3.
The biggest upset came in round 6: Albrecht Van Zyl (1939) beat Judah Nathan Levitan (FM, 2187), a +248-point gap.
Location
🇿🇦Cape Town, South Africa
Dates
25 Apr 2026 → 30 Apr 2026
Time control
Standard: 90 minutes for game with 30 seconds delay from move 1
System
Swiss · 9 rounds
Titled players · 15
IM×6
FM×6
CM×3
Federations · 6 represented
🇿🇦South Africa×25
🇿🇲Zambia×2
🇲🇼Malawi×1
🇿🇼Zimbabwe×1
🇧🇼Botswana×1
🇷🇺Russia×1
Top 3
- 🥇
- 🥈
- 🥉
How it unfolded
Top 6 · 9 roundsFM Joseph Mwale led from R3; +1.5-point edge over the runner-up.
Co-leaders
11
3
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
R3–R9 · LEAD HELD
FM Joseph Mwale never relinquished the lead after R3; final gap +1.5 over the runner-up.
R6 · HEAD-TO-HEAD · WINNER VS 2ND
FM Joseph Mwale drew with IM Jan Karsten (White).
R1–R5 · WIN STREAK
FM Joseph Mwale won 5 in a row (R1–R5).
Key matchups · top 4
Head-to-head between the four finishers| Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1FMJoseph Mwale | * | ½ | 1 | 1 |
| 2IMJan Karsten | ½ | * | 1 | 0 |
| 3FMMatfey Rogov | 0 | 0 | * | ½ |
| 4IMGillan Bwalya | 0 | 1 | ½ | * |
Grille américaine
| # | Player | Elo | Fed | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 | R9 | Pts | Bu C1 | Bu | SB | Perf | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mwale, JosephFM | 2288 | MAW | +30N | +18B | +4N | +5B | +3N | =2B | +13N | =9B | +10N | 8.0 | 43.0 | 45.0 | 39.25 | 2567 | +53.4 |
| 2 | Karsten, JanIM | 2382 | RSA | =28N | +10B | =3N | +6B | +25N | =1N | +5B | −4B | +14N | 6.5 | 44.0 | 46.0 | 32.00 | 2390 | +4.4 |
| 3 | Mhango, BaneleFM | 2243 | RSA | +31B | +14N | =2B | =9N | −1B | +8N | +6B | −5N | +16B | 6.0 | 45.5 | 45.5 | 25.75 | 2336 | +23.2 |
| 4 | Bwalya, GillanIM | 2310 | ZAM | +17B | +13N | −1B | +14N | −9B | =11N | +27B | +2N | =5B | 6.0 | 43.5 | 46.0 | 27.50 | 2323 | +2.8 |
| 5 | Rogov, MatfeyFM | 2380 | RUS | +21B | =15N | +27B | −1N | +20B | +9N | −2N | +3B | =4N | 6.0 | 43.0 | 45.5 | 25.75 | 2312 | -11.4 |
| 6 | Levitan, Caleb LeviIM | 2238 | RSA | =10N | =28B | +12N | −2N | +14B | +15B | −3N | =13B | +9N | 5.5 | 41.0 | 43.0 | 24.75 | 2248 | +3.6 |
| 7 | Simpson, MichaelIM | 2160 | RSA | +19B | =8N | +15B | =25B | =13N | =10N | =9B | =11N | =17B | 5.5 | 37.0 | 40.0 | 24.00 | 2235 | +18.8 |
| 8 | Oatlhotse, ProvidenceIM | 2258 | BOT | +29N | =7B | −25N | +28B | =15N | −3B | +20B | =17N | +11B | 5.5 | 33.5 | 35.5 | 19.50 | 2209 | -9.2 |
| 9 | Mnyasta, Charlton | 2195 | RSA | =12N | +26B | +18N | =3B | +4N | −5B | =7N | =1N | −6B | 5.0 | 46.0 | 48.5 | 24.75 | 2249 | +12.8 |
| 10 | Palmer, ReeganCM | 2048 | RSA | =6B | −2N | =11B | +17N | +28N | =7B | =23B | +24N | −1B | 5.0 | 41.5 | 43.5 | 19.25 | 2197 | +33.6 |
| 11 | Van Zyl-Rudd, JackFM | 2223 | RSA | =26N | =12B | =10N | +22B | +29N | =4B | =14N | =7B | −8N | 5.0 | 37.5 | 39.5 | 19.75 | 2150 | -16.6 |
| 12 | Salimu, Chase | 2024 | RSA | =9B | =11N | −6B | −23N | +26N | −17B | +28N | +19B | +18N | 5.0 | 33.0 | 35.0 | 17.00 | 2151 | +59.6 |
| 13 | Dinham, James | 2166 | RSA | +22N | −4B | =30N | +19B | =7B | +25N | −1B | =6N | F | 4.5 | 39.5 | 41.5 | 16.50 | 2207 | +9.8 |
| 14 | Klaasen, Calvin JohnFM | 2177 | RSA | +24N | −3B | +22N | −4B | −6N | +29B | =11B | +23N | −2B | 4.5 | 39.5 | 41.5 | 15.00 | 2150 | -6.0 |
| 15 | Kaulule Siame, KelaCM | 2207 | ZAM | +20B | =5B | −7N | +21N | =8B | −6N | =19N | +25B | F | 4.5 | 37.5 | 40.5 | 17.50 | 2215 | +3.0 |
| 16 | Mailula, Matsobane | 1998 | RSA | −25N | +24B | −28N | =18B | −19N | +21N | +29B | +27B | −3N | 4.5 | 28.0 | 30.0 | 13.50 | 2078 | +18.2 |
| 17 | Samuels, Ethan | 2031 | RSA | −4N | =20B | =26N | −10B | F | +12N | +25B | =8B | =7N | 4.0 | 36.0 | 36.0 | 16.50 | 2138 | +21.8 |
| 18 | Levitan, Judah NathanFM | 2187 | RSA | +23B | −1N | −9B | =16N | +24B | −27N | =26B | +20N | −12B | 4.0 | 35.5 | 38.0 | 14.00 | 2011 | -41.4 |
| 19 | Longano, Michael Nicholas | 2010 | RSA | −7N | F | =21B | −13N | +16B | =20N | =15B | −12N | +23B | 3.5 | 34.5 | 34.5 | 13.75 | 2034 | +4.2 |
| 20 | Claassen, Raynier | 2025 | RSA | −15N | =17N | +31B | +30B | −5N | =19B | −8N | −18B | =22N | 3.5 | 33.0 | 33.0 | 7.50 | 2043 | +2.8 |
| 21 | Ristovich, Dmitar S. | 2050 | RSA | −5N | +29B | =19N | −15B | −22N | −16B | +30B | +26N | −24B | 3.5 | 30.0 | 32.0 | 8.25 | 1988 | -17.6 |
| 22 | Yan, WeilunCM | 2017 | RSA | −13B | +31N | −14B | −11N | +21B | −23N | −24B | +28N | =20B | 3.5 | 30.0 | 30.0 | 7.25 | 1996 | -12.0 |
| 23 | Mnyasta, Tezihano | 1989 | RSA | −18N | −30B | −29N | +12B | +31N | +22B | =10N | −14B | −19N | 3.5 | 29.5 | 29.5 | 11.00 | 1967 | -6.4 |
| 24 | Tak, Rannveer | 2002 | RSA | −14B | −16N | F | =26B | −18N | +28B | +22N | −10B | +21N | 3.5 | 29.5 | 29.5 | 10.25 | 2029 | +9.6 |
| 25 | Kobese, WatuIM | 2258 | RSA | +16B | =27N | +8B | =7N | −2B | −13B | −17N | −15N | F | 3.0 | 37.5 | 37.5 | 14.00 | 2056 | -21.4 |
| 26 | Lin, Chenyi | 2023 | RSA | =11B | −9N | =17B | =24N | −12B | F | =18N | −21B | =30N | 2.5 | 32.0 | 32.0 | 9.25 | 1952 | -15.2 |
| 27 | Van Zyl, Albrecht | 1939 | RSA | F | =25B | −5N | −29B | +30N | +18B | −4N | −16N | F | 2.5 | 27.5 | 27.5 | 7.50 | 2050 | +14.2 |
| 28 | Du Plessis, Heinco | 2072 | RSA | =2B | =6N | +16B | −8N | −10B | −24N | −12B | −22B | F | 2.0 | 39.0 | 39.0 | 10.50 | 1928 | -31.2 |
| 29 | Nelson, Jaco | 1942 | RSA | −8B | −21N | +23B | +27N | −11B | −14N | −16N | F | F | 2.0 | 29.0 | 29.0 | 6.00 | 1933 | -4.0 |
| 30 | Cuthbert, Michael | 2031 | RSA | −1B | +23N | =13B | −20N | −27B | F | −21N | F | =26B | 2.0 | 28.0 | 28.0 | 7.00 | 1910 | -23.6 |
| 31 | Amini, Daud | 1984 | ZIM | −3N | −22B | −20N | F | −23B | F | F | F | F | 0.0 | 16.5 | 16.5 | 0.00 | 1268 | -31.2 |
Key insights
Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.
Top rating gainers
- 1Salimu, ChaseRSA+59.65.0 pts · #10
- 2Mwale, JosephFMMAW+53.48.0 pts · #1
- 3Palmer, ReeganCMRSA+33.65.0 pts · #12
Top rating losers
- 1Levitan, Judah NathanFMRSA-41.44.0 pts · #17
- 2Amini, DaudZIM-31.20.0 pts · #31
- 3Du Plessis, HeincoRSA-31.22.0 pts · #28
Biggest upsets
- R6+248 Elo gap
- R7+227 Elo gap
- R9+163 Elo gap