Provincial Chess Associations & Regional Chess Associations
Dear President/Chairperson and Secretariat
We would like you to share this registration link below to your respective Chess platform:
As we are looking for interested candidates to train for the Managers Role for Continental / International Chess tournaments.
We will also publish this in our Chess South Africa website.
Regards
Ms Chene Jeffries
Chess South Africa
General Secretary
Chess South Africa notes the Judgement delivered by the Western Cape High Court on 26 March 2026 in Case No. 2026-051994, concerning the eligibility of permanent residents to be eligible for the award of Federation Colours at the South African Junior Closed Chess Championship (SAJCCC).
Dear Presidents and Secretariats
We are excited to inform you that Chess South Africa is in the process of forming new Commissions and Committees, as outlined in our constitution. This initiative aims to enhance
the management and promotion of chess across various disciplines in our country. We also request experience members in chess to be nominated to add value and grow this organisation.
Downloads:
The 2026 South African Closed Chess Championships came to an exciting conclusion after eleven hard-fought rounds held from 21 February to 1 March 2026 at the headquarters of Alexforbes in Sandton. Organized by Chess South Africa, the prestigious round-robin event once again brought together the country’s strongest players to compete for national titles and international rating points.
The tournament was directed by Vicky Magu, with IA Michael Bornheim serving as Chief Arbiter, assisted by Deputy Chief Arbiter FA Anjurie De Wet and FA Karen Taljaard. Players competed under a classical time control of 90 minutes for 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes to finish, with a 30-second increment from move one.
The event featured an impressive average rating of 2211 and an average player age of just 24, reflecting both strength and the growing youth presence in South African chess.
International Master Jan Karsten emerged as the 2026 South African Closed Champion, scoring a dominant 8/11. Karsten showed remarkable consistency throughout the event, finishing clear first after a strong final stretch.
Second place went to IM Caleb Levi Levitan with 7.5 points, while FM Banele Mhango secured third on 6.5 points after tiebreaks.
Notably, the event was extremely competitive, with five players finishing on 6.5 points and tiebreaks determining podium positions.
The Women’s Championship delivered an especially dramatic finish, with the top two players tied on 8/11.
WIM Anzel Laubscher claimed the national title on superior tiebreaks ahead of WFM Chloe Badenhorst, while WCM Hayley Nel took third place with 7.5 points.
The close finish highlighted the rising strength and depth in South African women’s chess.
Fans nationwide were able to follow the action live via broadcast boards on Lichess, bringing South Africa’s premier chess event to an international audience.
👉 Live games archive:
https://lichess.org/broadcast/sa-adult-closed-2026-open/1M6nyxHX
The 2026 edition of the South African Closed Championships showcased a compelling blend of established masters and emerging talent. With strong performances across both sections and a closely contested women’s title race, the tournament once again affirmed its role as the pinnacle of national classical chess competition.
Today, Chess South Africa hosted its Elective AGM at Alexforbes, Sandton.
We were honoured to welcome Mr Barry Hendricks, President of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC), who attended this important milestone event.
Chess SA is proud to announce the newly elected Executive Board:
From left to right:
• Shaun Levitan — Vice President
• Chené Jeffries — General Secretary
• Andre Lewaks — President
• Jeanette Mabitsela — Provincial Representative
• Liezel Bothma — Treasurer
• Lindokuhle Ngubane — Vice President
Absent:
• Janine Fourie — Provincial Representative
Congratulations to the incoming leadership team on your election. We wish you every success as you serve South African chess and help drive the federation forward.
Download the PDF brochure of the 2026 South African Closed Chess Championship
JUNIOR GRAND PRIX
The PRELIMINARY lists for the qualifiers to participate in the 2026 Junior Closed have been published. These lists include:
The Top 5 from the 2025 Mzansi Individual Championships have NOT yet been added.
Please report any errors (incorrect genders, date-of-birth, etc.), including any player appearing on the list who is not a RSA citizen (not holding a valid RSA passport), to Chess South Africa and the Ratings Bureau no later than midnight on 9 January 2026. We will only accept corrections to be made from a Regional Official (President or Secretary) and only via email (not via any other method of communication). Messages from anyone else, except provincial officials, will be ignored and not entertained.
The final and official lists will be published on 12 January 2026 once all errors have been corrected and the lists have been approved by Chess South Africa.
Thank you and all the best for 2026.
