Cape Town hosted one of the largest editions of the national open in the country’s chess history, drawing more than 500 players from across South Africa and beyond.

The 2026 South African Open Chess Championships concluded on Sunday at DF Akademie High School in Bellville, following nine days of competition.

Organised by the Western Cape Chess Association (WCCA) in partnership with Chess South Africa and supported by the provincial department of cultural affairs and sport, the tournament was held from 27 June to 5 July and offered a total prize fund of R159,100 across all sections.

The event featured four main open sections alongside 12 junior-age group categories, with the host province, Western Cape, well represented among the final standings across all sections.

Open Championship

Charlton Mnyasta from Elsies River in the Western Cape claimed the 2026 South African Open Chess Championship, finishing on seven points from nine rounds. Mnyasta was joined on seven points by Tezihano Mnyasta, with the title decided in Charlton’s favour on a tiebreak — a result that placed two members of the same family at the top of the final standings.

The top five finishers in the championship section were (in order from first position) Charlton Mnyasta, Tezihano Mnyasta, Matfey Rogov, Calvin Klaasen and Craig Willenberg, with placings from second onwards determined by a tiebreak.

Special prizes were awarded to Luke Bell, who finished ninth overall and claimed the Best Junior Award, and to Lyndon Bouah, who received the Best Senior Award. Defending champion James Dinham concluded the tournament in 14th position on five points.

Women’s Section

Imkhita Joya of the Western Cape, a learner at Curro Durbanville, won the women’s title, finishing on eight points from nine rounds to lead the section by a clear margin. At 15 years of age, Joya delivered one of the standout individual performances of the tournament.

The top five finishers in this section were: Imkhita Joya (1st), Tshegofatso Mahuma (2nd), Denise Bouah (3rd), defending champion Sizakele Masango (4th) and Charne Woolf (5th), with third through fifth determined by a tiebreak.

Advanced Section

Amukelani Hlatshwayo won the Advanced Section with eight and a half points from nine rounds. The decisive moment of his campaign came in round seven, when he defeated Willian Kolomwe, who entered that round with a perfect six-from-six record. The top five finishers in the Advanced Section were: Amukelani Hlatshwayo (1st), Willian Kolomwe (2nd), Asanda Ngcobo (3rd), Senzo Msimango (4th) and Connor Opperman (5th), with placings from third onwards determined by a tiebreak.

Intermediate Section

Harrison Abrahams won the Intermediate Section with eight points from nine rounds, finishing a full point clear of the field. The top five finishers in the Intermediate Section were: Harrison Abrahams, Kopa Lesetedi, Andile Siyali, Christian Maxwell and Karl Freeks, with second through fifth determined by a tiebreak.

World School Chess Championships Qualifiers

A total of 12 junior sections were contested over seven rounds, covering age groups from Under-7 to Under-17 for boys and girls. The top three finishers in each section qualify to represent South Africa at the World Individual School Chess Championships, while the top five finishers in each section qualify for the African Individual School Chess Championships.

The confirmed qualifiers (school name in brackets if from the Cape Town region) are listed below.

• Under-7 Boys: Jannes Strydom (1st); Jeremiah Jobin (2nd, Table View Primary); Noah Pieters (3rd); Roger Schwalb (4th, Somerset College) and Adriaan Louw (5th).
• Under-7 Girls: Nadeema Naidoo (1st); Jemma Erica Lee (2nd, Plumstead Preparatory); Olivia Lamb (3rd); Diane Stander (4th) and Coline Stander (5th).
• Under-9 Boys: Khotso Mofokeng (1st); Zayden John (2nd); Akilan Varadharajan (3rd, Table View Primary); Evan de Wet (4th, Gordon’s Bay Primary) and Nathan Rehse (5th, Bishops College).
• Under-9 Girls: Rebecca de Swardt (1st); Keratilwe Kgwale (2nd); Lana de Bruyn (3rd, Lochnerhof Primary); Amrienta Gabriels (4th) and Gabriella Pienaar (5th, Gene Louw Primary).
• Under-11 Boys: Mason Stern Herzlia (1st, Weizmann Primary); Kian Hugo (2nd); Schalk Wolf van der Merwe (3rd, Laerskool Welgemoed); Yugesh Aarumugam Radha (4th) and Ming Xuan Jesse Zhang (5th, Reddam House Durbanville).
• Under-11 Girls: Minka Conradie (1st); Zara Rizvi (2nd); Rujeko Pfukwa (3rd, De Hoop Primary); Isabelle Ghamlouche (4th, Kirstenhof Primary) and Madalitso Ramonyaluoe (5th, Reddam House Durbanville).
• Under-13 Boys: Ben Klopper (1st, De Hoop Primary); Livhuwani Nathan Nemusombori (2nd); Murray Copley (3rd, Generations Imhoff); Cade Ruiters (4th, Brackenfell Primary) and Ethan D’Souza (5th).
• Under-13 Girls: Haojia Sun (1st, Pinelands North Primary); Ciara Adams (2nd); Dene Cilliers (3rd, Huguenot Primary); Mari Greeff (4th) and Nizibone Xabadiya (5th, Hazeldene Primary).
• Under-15 Boys: Micah John Fredericks (1st); Feraydo Adolf (2nd, Parel Vallei High School); Chezhaan Ethan Adams (3rd); Benjamin Banda (4th) and Zion Smith (5th, Parel Vallei High School).
• Under-15 Girls: Mila Marie Snyman (1st, Curro Durbanville); Sophia Hagen (2nd, Paarl Girls High School); Lienka Viljoen (3rd, Worcester Gymnasium); Danielle-Ann Stevens (4th, Curro Hermanus) and Hannah Osborne (5th, Teneo Education, Durbanville).
• Under-17 Boys: Juan-Louis Combrink (1st); Prince Ngombo (2nd, President High School); Mohammed Zayan Khan (3rd, South Peninsula High School); Sayed Ridha Booley (4th, Westerford High School) and Malesela Moja (5th, Bergvliet High School).
• Under-17 Girls: Maya Monteiro Correia (1st, Reddam House Bedfordview); Hannah Deysel (2nd); Kara Coetzee (3rd, Bellville High School); Viha Beecum (4th) and Nina van Niekerk (5th).

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