FM Daniel Barrish and WIM Jesse February are the winners of the 2024 South African Closed Chess Championship which concluded on Tuesday 02 April 2024.
Barrish enjoyed a good run in the championship recording five victories and six draws against some of the top-ranked players like top seed FM Calvin Klassen and Charlton Mnyatsa. The 24-year-old accumulated 8 out of 11 points to clinch the championship title ahead of FM Caleb Levitah who won silver with 7 points.
IM Jan Karsten had to settle for bronze whilst tournament top-ranked player IM Calvin Klassed finished 9th with 5,5 points.
WIM Jesse February continued from where she left off in Ghana emerging as the women’s section champion with 10,5 points. The African champion only played one draw against WIM Anzel Laubscher.
The women’s top-ranked player WIM Charlize van Zyl finished the championship second with nine points whilst WFM Chloe Badenhorst settled for bronze.