2026 KZN Open Chess Championships (B)

Open SwissStandard

70 players participated in this 7-round tournament, held from 01 May 2026 to 03 May 2026 in Durban, South Africa. Top 10 Elo average was 1363, and top seed was Neha Bisram (🇿🇦 RSA, 1639).

The biggest upset came in round 6: Kairav Gurayah (1405) beat Neha Bisram (1639), a +234-point gap.

Location

🇿🇦Durban, South Africa

Dates

01 May 2026 → 03 May 2026

Time control

Standard: 60 minutes with 30 seconds increment from move 1

System

Swiss · 7 rounds

Top seed

🇿🇦Neha Bisram1639

Avg top 10

1,363

Participants

Federations · 1 represented

🇿🇦South Africa×13

Top 3

🥇
FIDE 534051449
—
6.5pts·1540perf0.0
🥈
FIDE 534051295
—
6.5pts·1586perf0.0
🥉
Thato Matshego
🇿🇦RSA·1520
6.0pts·1612perf+7.2

How it unfolded

Top 6 · 7 rounds

Tight race until R7; 2 players tied at 6.5/7, decided on Buchholz. Title race narrowed from 4 co-leaders at R4 to 2 at the finish.

Co-leaders

6.56.5Matshego66Buthelezi5.5Mthethwa5.5

R7 · TIEBREAK CLUSTER

2 players finish on 6.5/7. takes the title on Buchholz Cut1 (24.5).

WIN STREAKS · 3 top finishers

FIDE 534051295 4 wins (R1–R4)FIDE 534051449 3+3 wins (R1–R3, R5–R7)Thato Matshego 5 wins (R1–R5)

Key matchups · top 4

Head-to-head between the four finishers

Player	1	2	3	4
1FIDE 534051295	*	—	—	—
2FIDE 534051449	—	*	—	—
3Thato Matshego	—	—	*	1
4FIDE 534051554	—	—	0	*

Grille américaine

#	Player	Elo	Fed	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	Pts	Bu C1	Bu	SB	Perf	Δ
1	FIDE 534051449	0	—	+8N	+?B	+?N	=5B	+33N	+6B	+9N	6.5	24.5	24.5	21.75	1540	0.0
2	FIDE 534051295	0	—	+61N	+66B	+43N	+56B	=6N	+13B	+5N	6.5	23.0	24.0	21.25	1586	0.0
3	Matshego, Thato	1520	RSA	+65N	+55B	+10N	+4B	+7N	−5B	+8N	6.0	28.5	30.0	24.50	1612	+7.2
4	FIDE 534051554	0	—	+?N	+18B	+?N	−3N	+20B	+?B	+7N	6.0	19.5	19.5	13.50	1468	0.0
5	Mthethwa, Sanele	1566	RSA	+62B	+11N	+21B	=1N	+28B	+3N	−2B	5.5	31.5	33.5	23.75	2306	+33.6
6	Buthelezi, Philasande	0	RSA	+46N	+44B	+?N	+?B	=2B	−1N	+19N	5.5	23.5	23.5	13.75	1586	0.0
7	Rossouw, Alicia	1415	RSA	+60B	+59N	+41B	+47N	−3B	+14N	−4B	5.0	25.0	27.0	15.00	720	-14.4
8	FIDE 534051279	0	—	−1B	+?N	+11B	+21N	+29B	+?N	−3B	5.0	25.0	25.0	12.50	1498	0.0
9	FIDE 534051074	0	—	+14B	+51N	−47B	+37N	+46B	+43N	−1B	5.0	24.0	27.0	17.50	1546	0.0
10	Ngcobo, Andiswa	1479	RSA	+67N	+24B	−3B	−46N	+25B	+42N	+20B	5.0	24.0	25.0	16.00	720	-17.6
11	FIDE 534051635	0	—	+?N	−5B	−8N	+57B	+61N	+31B	+27N	5.0	22.0	22.0	11.50	766	0.0
12	FIDE 534051260	0	—	+?N	=30B	+17N	−33B	+?N	+26B	=13N	5.0	20.5	20.5	12.75	1524	0.0
13	FIDE 14368072	0	—	+58B	+?N	+?B	=28N	+?B	−2N	=12B	5.0	17.0	17.0	6.25	1554	0.0
14	Moonsamy, Liam Cole	0	RSA	−9N	+32B	+?N	+?B	+?N	−7B	+?N	5.0	13.5	13.5	3.50	1580	0.0
15	FIDE 534001115	0	—	F	+45B	−?N	+31B	+?N	+?B	+28N	5.0	10.0	10.0	10.00	1582	0.0
16	FIDE 534051341	0	—	+?B	+?N	−28B	−?N	+?B	+41N	+43B	5.0	9.5	9.5	6.00	1505	0.0
17	FIDE 534005730	0	—	=53B	+20N	−12B	+?N	+30B	+?N	−?B	4.5	15.0	15.0	8.75	1565	0.0
18	FIDE 534051392	0	—	+?B	−4N	+?B	+?N	−?B	=34N	+30B	4.5	13.0	13.0	5.25	1502	0.0
19	FIDE 534051317	0	—	−?B	+?N	+?B	+?N	+41B	=?N	−6B	4.5	8.5	8.5	3.00	1572	0.0
20	FIDE 534051503	0	—	+54N	−17B	+22N	+55B	−4N	+48B	−10N	4.0	25.0	27.0	11.50	679	0.0
21	Moodley, Kai	0	RSA	+?N	+31B	−5N	−8B	−50N	+63B	+59N	4.0	21.0	21.0	7.50	766	0.0
22	FIDE 534051198	0	—	+?B	−28N	−20B	−42N	+64B	+58N	+45B	4.0	17.0	17.0	6.50	691	0.0
23	FIDE 534051490	0	—	+?B	−29N	+?B	−41N	−42B	+60N	+49B	4.0	14.5	14.5	5.00	605	0.0
24	FIDE 534051457	0	—	+?B	−10N	−44N	+?B	+55N	+56B	F	4.0	12.0	12.0	4.00	1426	0.0
25	FIDE 534051562	0	—	−41B	+?N	−?N	+?B	−10N	+?B	+48N	4.0	11.0	11.0	3.00	736	0.0
26	FIDE 534000976	0	—	+?N	+?B	F	−?N	+65B	−12N	+29B	4.0	10.0	10.0	5.00	1473	0.0
27	FIDE 534051210	0	—	−29B	+?N	−?B	+?N	+?B	+?N	−11B	4.0	8.5	8.5	0.00	1449	0.0
28	Makanjee, Arjun	1491	RSA	+70N	+22B	+16N	=13B	−5N	F	−15B	3.5	28.0	28.0	11.50	766	-16.0
29	Gurayah, Kairav	1405	RSA	+27N	+23B	−56N	=54B	−8N	+32B	−26N	3.5	23.0	25.0	12.75	2439	+31.6
30	FIDE 14332353	0	—	+64B	=12N	−?N	+35B	−17N	+45B	−18N	3.5	22.0	22.0	10.50	790	0.0
31	FIDE 534050930	0	—	+?B	−21N	+36B	−15N	+66B	−11N	=?B	3.5	18.5	18.5	4.50	1493	0.0
32	Bisram, Neha	1639	RSA	−42B	−14N	+62B	=64N	+53B	−29N	+57N	3.5	18.0	19.5	7.25	605	-31.6
33	FIDE 14335778	0	—	+?B	+42N	=?B	+12N	−1B	F	F	3.5	18.0	18.0	8.00	1540	0.0
34	FIDE 14368080	0	—	F	+49N	+59B	+?B	−?N	=18B	−?N	3.5	11.5	11.5	7.25	793	0.0
35	FIDE 534051147	0	—	−?B	=?N	+53B	−30N	−38B	+?N	+55B	3.5	11.5	11.5	4.50	693	0.0
36	FIDE 534034773	0	—	−45N	+?B	−31N	+67B	=39N	−?B	+?N	3.5	11.0	11.0	2.75	704	0.0
37	FIDE 534051201	0	—	−44N	+?B	+?N	−9B	−?B	+?N	=?B	3.5	8.0	8.0	0.00	740	0.0
38	FIDE 534051597	0	—	+?N	−?B	−45N	=69B	+35N	+?B	−?B	3.5	7.0	7.0	3.75	1375	0.0
39	FIDE 534051058	0	—	−?N	+?B	−?N	+?B	=36B	=?N	=?B	3.5	3.5	3.5	1.75	680	0.0
40	FIDE 534051236	0	—	F	−?N	+69B	−44B	+?N	=?B	+?N	3.5	3.5	3.5	0.50	1454	0.0
41	Tukushe, Sifiso Joshua	0	RSA	+25N	+?B	−7N	+23B	−19N	−16B	−52N	3.0	25.5	25.5	8.00	615	0.0
42	FIDE 534051171	0	—	+32N	−33B	−48N	+22B	+23N	−10B	F	3.0	23.0	23.0	11.50	1559	0.0
43	Mkhize, Gcina	1526	RSA	F	+69N	−2B	+45B	+44N	−9B	−16N	3.0	23.0	23.0	6.50	2387	+23.2
44	Sehlako, Lehlohonolo	1587	RSA	+37B	−6N	+24B	+40N	−43B	F	F	3.0	22.5	22.5	11.00	726	-23.2
45	FIDE 534051228	0	—	+36B	−15N	+38B	−43N	+?B	−30N	−22N	3.0	22.5	22.5	7.00	726	0.0
46	FIDE 534051180	0	—	−6B	+50N	F	+10B	−9N	+?B	−?N	3.0	18.5	18.5	8.00	1499	0.0
47	FIDE 534051414	0	—	+?N	+?B	+9N	−7B	−?N	−?B	F	3.0	12.0	12.0	5.00	1520	0.0
48	FIDE 534045473	0	—	+?B	−?N	+42B	−?N	+?B	−20N	−25B	3.0	11.0	11.0	3.00	765	0.0
49	FIDE 534051104	0	—	−?N	−34B	−?N	+?B	+?N	+55B	−23N	3.0	9.5	9.5	2.00	686	0.0
50	FIDE 534051139	0	—	−?N	−46B	F	+58N	+21B	=?B	=?N	3.0	9.0	9.0	6.00	1489	0.0
51	FIDE 534051333	0	—	F	−9B	+?N	−?B	+?N	F	+?B	3.0	8.0	8.0	0.00	1510	0.0
52	FIDE 534051481	0	—	F	−?B	+?N	−?B	−?N	+?N	+41B	3.0	3.0	3.0	3.00	746	0.0
53	FIDE 534051520	0	—	=17N	−?B	−35N	+?B	−32N	−?B	+?B	2.5	11.5	11.5	2.25	816	0.0
54	FIDE 14371189	0	—	−20B	+60N	+?B	=29N	F	F	F	2.5	9.5	9.5	3.75	1405	0.0
55	FIDE 534000992	0	—	+?B	−3N	+64B	−20N	−24B	−49N	−35N	2.0	22.0	22.0	1.50	720	0.0
56	FIDE 534045457	0	—	F	+57N	+29B	−2N	−?B	−24N	F	2.0	19.0	19.0	5.50	1498	0.0
57	FIDE 14385147	0	—	F	−56B	−66N	−11N	+62B	+?N	−32B	2.0	17.0	17.0	2.00	839	0.0
58	FIDE 534001352	0	—	−13N	−65B	+?N	−50B	+?N	−22B	−?N	2.0	13.5	13.5	0.00	686	0.0
59	FIDE 534051112	0	—	F	−7B	−34N	−?N	+?B	+?N	−21B	2.0	12.5	12.5	0.00	615	0.0
60	FIDE 534051546	0	—	−7N	−54B	−?N	+?B	+?N	−23B	−?N	2.0	11.5	11.5	0.00	615	0.0
61	FIDE 534045449	0	—	−2B	+?N	−?B	+?N	−11B	−?N	−?B	2.0	11.5	11.5	0.00	693	0.0
62	FIDE 534051406	0	—	−5N	=?B	−32N	=?B	−57N	F	+?B	2.0	11.0	11.0	0.00	803	0.0
63	FIDE 534051120	0	—	−?N	−?B	+?N	−?B	+?N	−21N	−?B	2.0	4.0	4.0	0.00	747	0.0
64	FIDE 14340585	0	—	−30N	+?B	−55N	=32B	−22N	F	F	1.5	13.5	13.5	1.75	1639	0.0
65	FIDE 14381796	0	—	−3B	+58N	F	=?B	−26N	F	F	1.5	12.0	12.0	2.00	1319	0.0
66	FIDE 14357178	0	—	F	−2N	+57B	−?B	−31N	F	F	1.0	12.0	12.0	2.00	793	0.0
67	FIDE 534051350	0	—	−10B	−?N	+?B	−36N	−?B	F	F	1.0	8.5	8.5	0.00	679	0.0
68	FIDE 14382296	0	—	−?B	−?N	+?B	−?N	−?B	F	F	1.0	0.0	0.0	0.00	749	0.0
69	FIDE 534051155	0	—	F	−43B	−40N	=38N	−?B	F	F	0.5	11.5	11.5	1.75	726	0.0
70	FIDE 534034625	0	—	−28B	−?N	−?B	−?N	−?N	F	F	0.0	3.5	3.5	0.00	739	0.0

Key insights

Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.

Top rating gainers

1Mthethwa, SaneleRSA
+33.6
5.5 pts · #9
2Gurayah, KairavRSA
+31.6
3.5 pts · #20
3Mkhize, GcinaRSA
+23.2
3.0 pts · #15

Top rating losers

1Bisram, NehaRSA
-31.6
3.5 pts · #68
2Sehlako, LehlohonoloRSA
-23.2
3.0 pts · #38
3Ngcobo, AndiswaRSA
-17.6
5.0 pts · #60

Biggest upsets

R6+234 Elo gap
Gurayah, Kairav1405 beat Bisram, Neha1639