CChessStats

Winter Open Chess Championship 2026

Open SwissStandard

27 players participated in this 7-round tournament, held from 30 May 2026 to 31 May 2026 in Maseru, Lesotho. 2 titled players. Top 10 Elo average was 1725, and top seed was George Mahommed (🇱🇸 LES, 1892).

George Mahommed (🇱🇸 LES, 1892) won with 6.5/7, ahead of Karabo Mokete (5.5) and Batloung Lesela (5.0). Mahommed broke clear in the final round.

The biggest upset came in round 4: Atlehang Petlane (1426) beat Boitumelo Sethabathaba (1654), a +228-point gap.

Location
🇱🇸Maseru, Lesotho
Dates
30 May 2026 → 31 May 2026
Time control
Standard: 60 minutes with 30 seconds increment from move 1
System
Swiss · 7 rounds
Top seed
🇱🇸George Mahommed1892
Avg top 10
1,725
Participants
27
Titled players · 2
CM×2
Federations · 1 represented
🇱🇸Lesotho×18
Top 3

How it unfolded

Top 6 · 7 rounds

George Mahommed led from R7; +1.0-point edge over the runner-up. Title race converged from 2 co-leaders at R4 to 1 by R7.

Co-leaders
9
4
2
2
2
2
1
23.55.57R1R2R3R4R5R6R7
Mahommed6.5Mokete5.5Lesela5Motlomelo4.5Ntsonyana4.5Thato4.5
R7–R7 · LEAD HELD

George Mahommed never relinquished the lead after R7; final gap +1.0 over the runner-up.

R5 · HEAD-TO-HEAD · WINNER VS 2ND

George Mahommed drew with CM Karabo Mokete (White).

WIN STREAKS · 3 top finishers

George Mahommed 4 wins (R1–R4)CM Karabo Mokete 4 wins (R1–R4)Batloung Lesela 3 wins (R3–R5)

Key matchups · top 4

Head-to-head between the four finishers
Player1234
1George Mahommed*
½
1
1
2CMKarabo Mokete
½
*
1
—
3Batloung Lesela
0
0
*—
4CMLihloela Motlomelo
0
——*

Grille américaine

#PlayerEloFedR1R2R3R4R5R6R7PtsBu C1BuSBPerfΔ
1George Mahommed1892LES+7B+3N+6B+10N=2B+9N+4B6.528.032.029.252101+21.8
2Karabo MoketeCM1874LES+11N+14B+20B+6N=1N+3B−10B5.526.528.521.251921+8.8
3Batloung Lesela1656LES+26N−1B+5N+18B+20N−2N+9B5.025.025.013.001806+40.0
4Motlomelo, LihloelaCM1692LES+24B−12N=9B+7N+11B+5N−1N4.526.527.515.501691+0.8
5Libe, Sofonea1684LES=9B+16N−3B+13N+8B−4B+18N4.524.527.015.501601-9.0
6Ntsonyana, Bahlakoana1693LES+19N+18B−1N−2B+24N=12B+13N4.524.025.011.251681-1.8
7Tsepo Masaballa1507LES−1N+26B=14N−4B+16N+19B+15N4.522.522.510.001473-6.0
8Moorosi Thato0LES−14N=11B+22N+?B−5N+23B+12N4.517.017.07.751587+26.4
9Makibinyane Kananelo0LES=5N+?B=4N+17N+10B−1B−3N4.027.527.511.5017240.0
10Bokang, Motsamai1779LESF+17N+12B−1B−9N+15B+2N4.025.526.015.001940+16.8
11Atlehang Petlane1426LES−2B=8N+16B+14B−4N−13N+22B3.524.025.59.751481+6.4
12Katleho Mohale1584LES+15N+4B−10N−20B+14N=6N−8B3.523.525.512.751701+15.8
13Lenyane, Tau1524LES−23N+21B+15N−5B=18N+11B−6B3.519.520.59.251496-7.6
14Boitumelo Sethabathaba1654LES+8B−2N=7B−11N−12B=16B+23N3.024.525.59.251276-36.2
15FIDE 213059350—−12B+24N−13B+27N+17B−10N−7B3.019.519.54.0013660.0
16FIDE 213061920—=?N−5B−11N+26B−7B=14N+21B3.017.017.03.0013320.0
17Gugushe Mongezi1636LES+22N−10B+23N−9B−15N+24B−19N3.016.017.03.50979-12.4
18Thabo Chaoana1530LESF−6N+27B−3N=13B+21N−5B2.519.019.03.251317-36.4
19FIDE 213049710—−6BF=21N+22BF−7N+17B2.515.015.05.2514870.0
20Abele Mokoma1689LESF+23B−2N+12N−3BFF2.016.516.54.501580-18.0
21FIDE 213038350—F−13N=19BF+?N−18B−16N1.514.014.01.2514230.0
22FIDE 213053900—−17B=25N−8B−19NF+?B−11N1.514.014.00.2514250.0
23Relebeletse, Tlaitlai0LES+13B−20N−17BFF−8N−14B1.017.017.53.5014330.0
24FIDE 213062140—−4N−15B+26NF−6B−17N−?B1.016.016.00.008530.0
25FIDE 213062220—F=22B−?NFFFF0.58.08.00.757890.0
26FIDE 213056500—−3B−7N−24B−16NFFF0.015.015.00.007820.0
27FIDE 213062060—FF−18N−15BFFF0.013.013.00.007300.0

Key insights

Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.

Top rating gainers
Top rating losers
Biggest upsets