The South African Championship 2022, held in the open, women’s and seniors sections, took place from May 7-14 in Newland Cricket ground in Cape Town. All three tournaments were played in a round-robin format. The championships served as the qualifying events for the South African national teams that will participate in the 44th Chess Olympiad in Chennai. 

The open tournament was a close affair, with IM Daniel Cawdery and FM Banele Mhango netting 6/8 each and tying for the first place. Daniel Cawdery claimed the title (the second in his career) as the winner of their direct encounter. GM Kenny Solomon, the only grandmaster in the tournament, scored 5½/8 and took bronze. 

Final standings Open:

The women’s event, an 8-player round-robin, produced a minor sensation – one of the lowest-rated participants 15-year-old Chloe Badenhorst came out on top, scoring 5/7 and picked 117 rating points along the way.

WIM Jesse Nikki February did not manage to defend her national title and finished a half-point behind the champion. WIM Charlize Van Zyl finished third with 4 points. 

Final standings Women:

Mark Lewis dominated the senior section scoring 7½/9 points. The champion conceded his opponents just three draws and finished a full point ahead of Hans Steyn and Cecil Ohlson, who tied for the second place. The silver goes to Hans Steyn, thanks to better Sonneborn-Berger.

Final standings Seniors:

Official website: www.chessa.co.za

Photo: Lyndon Bouah