NMBCU Trials 6 2026 (U16)
21 players participated in this 6-round tournament, held from 22 May 2026 to 23 May 2026 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Top 10 Elo average was 1550, and top seed was Samuel DRISCOLL (🇿🇦 RSA, 1733).
Matthew Koutsouvelis (🇿🇦 RSA, 1544) won with 5.0/6, ahead of Jayde Arries (4.5) and Khwezi Sonti (4.5). Koutsouvelis clinched sole first place in the final round.
The biggest upset came in round 5: Jayde Arries (1423) beat Okuhle Mndai (1619), a +196-point gap.
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How it unfolded
Top 6 · 6 roundsMatthew Koutsouvelis led from R6; +0.5-point edge over the runner-up. Title race converged from 2 co-leaders at R4 to 1 by R6.
Matthew Koutsouvelis held the sole lead from R6 through R6 without losing it.
Matthew Koutsouvelis lost to Jayde Arries (White).
Matthew Koutsouvelis 3 wins (R4–R6)Jayde Arries 3 wins (R1–R3)Khwezi Sonti 3 wins (R1–R3)
Key matchups · top 4
Head-to-head between the four finishers| Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Matthew Koutsouvelis | * | 0 | 1 | — |
| 2Jayde Arries | 1 | * | ½ | 0 |
| 3Khwezi Sonti | 0 | ½ | * | — |
| 4Cael Lelethu Stander | — | 1 | — | * |
Grille américaine
| # | Player | Elo | Fed | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | Pts | Bu C1 | Bu | SB | Perf | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Koutsouvelis, Matthew | 1544 | RSA | +15B | +14N | −2B | +13N | +5B | +3B | 5.0 | 17.5 | 19.5 | 15.00 | 1757 | +52.4 |
| 2 | Arries, Jayde | 1423 | RSA | +21B | +6N | +1N | =3B | +9N | −4B | 4.5 | 20.0 | 20.0 | 13.75 | 1695 | +72.4 |
| 3 | Sonti, Khwezi | 1451 | RSA | +16B | +9N | +8B | =2N | +7B | −1N | 4.5 | 19.0 | 21.0 | 13.75 | 1610 | +33.6 |
| 4 | Stander, Cael Lelethu | 1563 | RSA | −8N | +5B | −9B | +16N | +13B | +2N | 4.0 | 16.5 | 18.5 | 12.50 | 1755 | +39.6 |
| 5 | DRISCOLL, Samuel | 1733 | RSA | =13B | −4N | +16B | +15N | −1N | +14B | 3.5 | 16.0 | 18.0 | 7.75 | 1435 | -63.2 |
| 6 | ADAMS, Ciara | 1552 | RSA | +11N | −2B | −13B | +20N | +15B | =7N | 3.5 | 15.5 | 15.5 | 6.75 | 1184 | -55.6 |
| 7 | Botlhole, Erato | 1475 | RSA | +20B | −13N | +18B | +8N | −3N | =6B | 3.5 | 15.0 | 15.0 | 6.25 | 1386 | -20.0 |
| 8 | Smile, Osakhe | 0 | RSA | +4B | +18N | −3N | −7B | =11N | =10B | 3.0 | 18.0 | 19.5 | 8.50 | 1498 | 0.0 |
| 9 | Mndai, Okuhle | 1619 | RSA | F | −3B | +4N | +14N | −2B | +13N | 3.0 | 18.0 | 18.0 | 9.00 | 1555 | -16.0 |
| 10 | Tukwayo, Likuye | 1586 | RSA | F | +12N | −15B | +17B | =14N | =8N | 3.0 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 7.75 | 1506 | -4.4 |
| 11 | Douglas, Jody | 0 | RSA | −6B | +20N | −14B | =18N | =8B | +17N | 3.0 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 4.25 | 1218 | 0.0 |
| 12 | Dikana, Inam | 0 | RSA | F | −10B | −17N | +19N | +18B | +15N | 3.0 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 4.50 | 1500 | 0.0 |
| 13 | De Jager, Jaeden | 1473 | RSA | =5N | +7B | +6N | −1B | −4N | −9B | 2.5 | 19.5 | 22.5 | 8.75 | 1524 | +14.0 |
| 14 | Arries, Keaton | 1506 | RSA | +19N | −1B | +11N | −9B | =10B | −5N | 2.5 | 17.5 | 18.5 | 5.50 | 1299 | -36.0 |
| 15 | Prinsloo, Liam | 0 | RSA | −1N | +17B | +10N | −5B | −6N | −12B | 2.0 | 18.0 | 20.0 | 5.00 | 1411 | 0.0 |
| 16 | Zifo, Saqhama | 0 | RSA | −3N | +19B | −5N | −4B | −17N | +20B | 2.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 | 1.00 | 782 | 0.0 |
| 17 | Du Toit, Hayden | 0 | RSA | −18B | −15N | +12B | −10N | +16B | −11B | 2.0 | 13.0 | 14.5 | 5.00 | 700 | 0.0 |
| 18 | Van Huyssteen, Nathan | 1414 | RSA | +17N | −8B | −7N | =11B | −12N | F | 1.5 | 14.5 | 14.5 | 3.50 | 675 | -16.8 |
| 19 | FIDE 534014268 | 0 | — | −14B | −16N | F | −12B | +20B | F | 1.0 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 0.00 | 706 | 0.0 |
| 20 | FIDE 534045287 | 0 | — | −7N | −11B | F | −6B | −19N | −16N | 0.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 0.00 | 714 | 0.0 |
| 21 | Petshwa, Ahlumile Qhayiya | 0 | RSA | −2N | F | F | F | F | F | 0.0 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 0.00 | 623 | 0.0 |
Key insights
Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.
- 1Arries, JaydeRSA+72.44.5 pts · #2
- 2Koutsouvelis, MatthewRSA+52.45.0 pts · #1
- 3Stander, Cael LelethuRSA+39.64.0 pts · #3
- 1DRISCOLL, SamuelRSA-63.23.5 pts · #9
- 2ADAMS, CiaraRSA-55.63.5 pts · #15
- 3Arries, KeatonRSA-36.02.5 pts · #13
- R5+196 Elo gap
- R5+189 Elo gap
- R2+170 Elo gap