2026 Northern Cape Open Chess Championship (B)
Open SwissStandard
39 players participated in this 7-round tournament, held from 17 Apr 2026 to 19 Apr 2026 in Kimberley, South Africa. Top 10 Elo average was 1577, and top seed was Ethan Van Vreede (🇿🇦 RSA, 1698).
Algurnon Arends (🇿🇦 RSA, 1637) won with 6.0/7, ahead of Lesia Fourie (6.0) and Modimoonthatile Letsoeisa (5.5). Arends won on tie-break after catching the field in the final round.
The biggest upset came in round 5: Kristen Ahjum (1459) beat Andre Van Rooyen (1610), a +151-point gap.
Location
🇿🇦Kimberley, South Africa
Dates
17 Apr 2026 → 19 Apr 2026
Time control
Standard: 60 minutes with 30 seconds increment from move 1
System
Swiss · 7 rounds
Avg top 10
1,577
Participants
39
Federations · 1 represented
🇿🇦South Africa×20
Top 3
- 🥇
- 🥈
- 🥉
How it unfolded
Top 6 · 7 roundsTight race until R7; 2 players tied at 6.0/7, decided on Buchholz. Title race narrowed from 2 co-leaders at R4 to 2 at the finish.
Co-leaders
23
11
4
2
1
1
2
R7 · TIEBREAK CLUSTER
2 players finish on 6.0/7. Arends takes the title on Buchholz Cut1 (29.5).
R3 · HEAD-TO-HEAD · WINNER VS 2ND
Algurnon Arends drew with Lesia Fourie (White).
R1–R5 · WIN STREAK
Modimoonthatile Letsoeisa won 5 in a row (R1–R5).
Key matchups · top 4
Head-to-head between the four finishers| Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Algurnon Arends | * | ½ | 1 | ½ |
| 2Lesia Fourie | ½ | * | ½ | — |
| 3Modimoonthatile Letsoeisa | 0 | ½ | * | 1 |
| 4Omaatla Aobakwe Mothata | ½ | — | 0 | * |
Grille américaine
| # | Player | Elo | Fed | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | Pts | Bu C1 | Bu | SB | Perf | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arends, Algurnon | 1637 | RSA | +30B | +38N | =2B | +8N | +6B | =4N | +3N | 6.0 | 29.5 | 30.5 | 24.75 | 1759 | +28.0 |
| 2 | Fourie, Lesia | 1486 | RSA | +27N | +11B | =1N | +9B | +23N | =3B | +24N | 6.0 | 26.5 | 29.5 | 23.75 | 1723 | +38.0 |
| 3 | Letsoeisa, Modimoonthatile | 1567 | RSA | +29B | +20N | +13B | +6N | +4B | =2N | −1B | 5.5 | 30.0 | 33.0 | 24.00 | 1721 | +41.6 |
| 4 | Mothata, Omaatla Aobakwe | 1590 | RSA | +15B | +25N | +19B | +5N | −3N | =1B | +9N | 5.5 | 28.5 | 31.5 | 23.00 | 1585 | -0.4 |
| 5 | FIDE 14351382 | 0 | — | +?B | +7N | +10N | −4B | −9N | +18B | +13N | 5.0 | 27.5 | 27.5 | 17.50 | 1639 | 0.0 |
| 6 | Lebitso, Relebohile Lekg | 1491 | RSA | +37N | +31B | +24N | −3B | −1N | +16B | +25N | 5.0 | 24.5 | 26.5 | 15.00 | 803 | -28.0 |
| 7 | Mathamela, Golaotswe | 0 | RSA | +?N | −5B | +14N | +26B | −24N | +8N | +?B | 5.0 | 19.5 | 19.5 | 11.50 | 1583 | 0.0 |
| 8 | Ahjum, Kristen | 1459 | RSA | +28N | +23B | =9N | −1B | +10N | −7B | +17B | 4.5 | 27.0 | 30.0 | 16.75 | 1737 | +44.0 |
| 9 | Van Aswegen, Juandre | 0 | RSA | +?B | +16N | =8B | −2N | +5B | +?N | −4B | 4.5 | 25.0 | 25.0 | 11.25 | 1427 | 0.0 |
| 10 | Van Rooyen, Andre | 1610 | RSA | +12B | +21N | −5B | =25N | −8B | +19N | +20B | 4.5 | 24.5 | 27.5 | 16.50 | 1504 | -11.2 |
| 11 | FIDE 14349892 | 0 | — | +?B | −2N | +30B | +?N | −13B | =12N | +21B | 4.5 | 21.0 | 21.0 | 8.75 | 771 | 0.0 |
| 12 | FIDE 534019383 | 0 | — | −10N | +?B | −23N | +?B | +26N | =11B | +22N | 4.5 | 18.5 | 18.5 | 8.75 | 1471 | 0.0 |
| 13 | Wyl, Caleb Reatlegil | 1657 | RSA | +39B | +26N | −3N | +21B | +11N | F | −5B | 4.0 | 24.5 | 25.5 | 12.00 | 1578 | -8.4 |
| 14 | FIDE 14348314 | 0 | — | =?B | +17N | −7B | −31N | =15B | +38N | +?B | 4.0 | 17.0 | 17.0 | 7.00 | 1531 | 0.0 |
| 15 | Bruwer, Wian | 0 | RSA | −4N | −36B | +?N | =34B | =14N | +?B | +23N | 4.0 | 17.0 | 17.0 | 6.25 | 1589 | 0.0 |
| 16 | Louwrens, Christo | 0 | RSA | +?N | −9B | +?N | +19N | −?B | −6N | +27B | 4.0 | 16.0 | 16.0 | 6.50 | 1396 | 0.0 |
| 17 | Du Plessis, Marlon | 0 | RSA | −?N | −14B | +?N | +33B | +?N | +23B | −8N | 4.0 | 14.5 | 14.5 | 6.00 | 1457 | 0.0 |
| 18 | FIDE 534019340 | 0 | — | F | F | +32B | +?N | +29B | −5N | +26B | 4.0 | 14.0 | 14.0 | 9.00 | 1609 | 0.0 |
| 19 | Oberholster, Guilliaume Albe | 1549 | RSA | +33N | +22B | −4N | −16B | =28N | −10B | +34N | 3.5 | 23.5 | 26.0 | 10.50 | 800 | -34.4 |
| 20 | Booysen, Vuyani | 0 | RSA | +36N | −3B | +27N | −24B | +38N | =22B | −10N | 3.5 | 21.5 | 22.5 | 7.75 | 789 | 0.0 |
| 21 | Mostert, Hendrik | 0 | RSA | +?N | −10B | +?N | −13N | =25B | +28B | −11N | 3.5 | 19.0 | 19.0 | 4.50 | 833 | 0.0 |
| 22 | FIDE 534025219 | 0 | — | +?B | −19N | −38B | +?N | +35B | =20N | −12B | 3.5 | 14.5 | 14.5 | 3.75 | 749 | 0.0 |
| 23 | Gabaikangwe, Kutlwane | 1589 | RSA | +32B | −8N | +12B | +29N | −2B | −17N | −15B | 3.0 | 26.0 | 29.0 | 10.50 | 673 | -52.4 |
| 24 | Viviers, Hanre | 0 | RSA | F | +?N | −6B | +20N | +7B | F | −2B | 3.0 | 23.5 | 23.5 | 8.50 | 1375 | 0.0 |
| 25 | Hollenbach, Wian | 0 | RSA | +?N | −4B | +37N | =10B | =21N | F | −6B | 3.0 | 23.5 | 23.5 | 6.00 | 1291 | 0.0 |
| 26 | Mtshali, Sihle Tyrees | 1589 | RSA | +35N | −13B | +36N | −7N | −12B | +34B | −18N | 3.0 | 22.0 | 24.0 | 6.50 | 856 | -16.4 |
| 27 | FIDE 14369486 | 0 | — | −2B | +?N | −20B | +36N | +31B | F | −16N | 3.0 | 21.5 | 21.5 | 5.00 | 686 | 0.0 |
| 28 | FIDE 534039384 | 0 | — | −8B | +32N | −?B | +30N | =19B | −21N | =31B | 3.0 | 20.5 | 20.5 | 9.25 | 1237 | 0.0 |
| 29 | FIDE 534030212 | 0 | — | −3N | +34B | +35N | −23B | −18N | +?B | −?N | 3.0 | 17.0 | 17.0 | 4.50 | 778 | 0.0 |
| 30 | FIDE 534046771 | 0 | — | −1N | +?B | −11N | −28B | −?N | +?B | +35N | 3.0 | 15.5 | 15.5 | 2.00 | 838 | 0.0 |
| 31 | FIDE 534019316 | 0 | — | +?B | −6N | −?B | +14B | −27N | =?B | =28N | 3.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 | 5.50 | 691 | 0.0 |
| 32 | FIDE 534046739 | 0 | — | −23N | −28B | −18N | +?B | +37N | +35B | −?N | 3.0 | 14.0 | 14.0 | 4.00 | 788 | 0.0 |
| 33 | FIDE 534046747 | 0 | — | −19B | −?N | +?B | −17N | −36B | +?N | +38B | 3.0 | 10.5 | 10.5 | 1.00 | 749 | 0.0 |
| 34 | FIDE 534046763 | 0 | — | −?B | −29N | +?B | =15N | +?B | −26N | −19B | 2.5 | 13.5 | 13.5 | 2.00 | 753 | 0.0 |
| 35 | FIDE 534046798 | 0 | — | −26B | +?N | −29B | +37B | −22N | −32N | −30B | 2.0 | 17.5 | 17.5 | 2.00 | 789 | 0.0 |
| 36 | FIDE 534046852 | 0 | — | −20B | +15N | −26B | −27B | +33N | −?N | −?B | 2.0 | 16.5 | 16.5 | 7.00 | 789 | 0.0 |
| 37 | FIDE 534046801 | 0 | — | −6B | +?N | −25B | −35N | −32B | −?B | +?N | 2.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 0.00 | 691 | 0.0 |
| 38 | FIDE 534046810 | 0 | — | F | −1B | +22N | −?N | −20B | −14B | −33N | 1.0 | 20.0 | 20.0 | 3.50 | 780 | 0.0 |
| 39 | FIDE 534046844 | 0 | — | −13N | −?B | +?N | −?B | −?N | F | F | 1.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 0.00 | 856 | 0.0 |
Key insights
Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.
Top rating gainers
- 1Ahjum, KristenRSA+44.04.5 pts · #4
- 2Letsoeisa, ModimoonthatileRSA+41.65.5 pts · #2
- 3Fourie, LesiaRSA+38.06.0 pts · #6
Top rating losers
- 1Gabaikangwe, KutlwaneRSA-52.43.0 pts · #38
- 2Oberholster, Guilliaume AlbeRSA-34.43.5 pts · #28
- 3Lebitso, Relebohile LekgRSA-28.05.0 pts · #22
Biggest upsets
- R5+151 Elo gap
- R2+130 Elo gap
- R5+103 Elo gap