The Cape of Good Hope Open has been a key event in the Cape Town Chess Federation calendar for decades. Before diving into this year’s tournament, let’s take a quick look back at its origins. The event started in 1981 as part of the Cape’s premier Agricultural and Industrial Show, thanks to the efforts of Mr. Chris Muller and Errol Fyfe’s public relations firm. That year, a 15-year-old Donald McFarlane won the event, marking the beginning of a long tradition of competitive chess in the Western Cape (Source: Reflections on the 2020 Cape Open by Dr. Lyndon Bouah).

Fast forward to 2025, and the tournament remains one of the most anticipated in Cape Town. With strong contenders like Matfey Rogov, Calvin Klaasen and Charlton Mnyasta. Let’s take a closer look at the key moments and standout games from this year’s event.

The Cape of Good Hope Open 2025 Championship Section delivered top-tier chess battles in an event that had both emerging talents and experienced players. The top 10 rated players include notable names like CM Matfey Rogov (2314), FM Calvin John Klaasen (2157), and CM Reegan Palmer (2028), with a special mention to our promising young female player, Joya Imkita, who has a rating of 1745.

The standings are as follows:

1st Place:
CM Rogov, Matfey
As the top seed of the tournament, Rogov led the pack and walks away as the Cape of Good Hope Champion. This follows his excellent 3rd place performance at this Cape Town Masters event just one month ago.

2nd Place:
FM Klaasen, Calvin John
Displaying a solid performance, Klaasen showed his consistency and only suffered one loss against the tournament winner Matfey Rogov.

3rd Place:
Willenberg, Kenneth
A consistent performer, Kenneth takes 3rd place following a difficult Cape Town Master’s 26th place performance.

4th Place:
Mnyasta, Tezihano
A solid performance from Tezihano bettering his 9th place in the Cape Town Masters last month.

5th Place:
CM Palmer, Reegan
An impressive performance since his 16th place at the Cape Town Masters. Reegan is certainly back to good form.

Best Senior: Andrew Southey

Best Female: Imkhita Joya

Standout Performances

1st Place: Tsabola Bright
2nd Place: Vorster Paul
3rd Place: Willenberg Glen Ivan
4th Place: Willenberg Roland Chester
5th Place: Kruger Aiden

Best Senior: Shaun Willenberg
Best Female: Emily Grove

Standout Performances

1st Place: Ntuli Senzo
2nd Place: Mharapara Liberty
3rd Place: Roux Tiaan

Best Senior: Lyndon Green
Best Female: Tsulufelo Moyo

Standout Performances

1st Place: Samuels Ethan
2nd Place: Kedama Sandiso
3rd Place: Braaf Jiraan

Standout Performances

1st Place: De Villiers Christiaan
2nd Place: Josephs Connor
3rd Place: Calitz Steyn

Standout Performances

1st Place: Van Der Merwe Schalk Wolf
2nd Place: Stern Mason
3rd Place: Johnson Brian

Standout Performances

1st Place: Balogun Samuel
2nd Place: Bessesen Sindre
3rd Place: May Sinelizwi

We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who made this event possible:

Officials: Our dedicated arbiters, including PA Anito Petersen and PA Bambelela Ngwayishe, as well as Chief Arbiter FA Andrew Talmarkes and Deputy Chief Arbiter FA Marc Petersen.

Organisers: The Cape Town Chess Federation and Tournament Director Eugene Steenkamp.

Community: A huge thank you to the players, parents, and supporters for their enthusiasm and commitment. Those long hours waiting and supporting your kids in the heat goes a long way to their success in the sport!

Venue and Services: Special thanks to the cleaners and the Western Cape Sports School for providing an excellent venue that contributed to the success of this tournament.

Our Partner: The Department of Culture and Sports (Western Cape Government)