Banele Mhango

Banele Mhango
Personal information
BornBanele Fortune Mhango
(2003-05-03) 3 May 2003 (age 23)
Mpumalanga, South Africa
Chess career
Country South Africa
TitleFIDE Master (2020)
Years active2017–present
FIDE rating2354 (August 2026)
Peak rating2354 (August 2026)
Medal record
South African Chess Championship
South African Junior Closed Championship
Gold medal – first placeU16 South African Junior Closed Championship2017
African Chess Championship
African Youth Chess Championship
Bronze medal – third placeU16 African Youth Chess Championship2018

Banele Fortune Mhango (born 3 May 2003) is a chess player and coach from South Africa. Mhango was awarded the FIDE title of FIDE Master in 2020 (and Candidate Master in 2018). He was named sportsman of the year after representing South Africa in competitions in Egypt and Kenya.

Early life and career

Born on 3 May 2003 in Mpumalanga, South Africa, Banele Fortune Mhango is a South African chess player also known by his online screen name, Banelevich.

In 2017, he won the under 16 open category at The South African Junior Closed Championship. In 2018, Mhango competed in Kenya where he placed third, won bronze medal and earned the Candidate Master title. Following the victory in Kenya, he went on to compete in Egypt where he was awarded the FIDE Master title in 2020, and earned his spot to compete in Greece. However due to financial difficulties he was wasn't able to make it. He was named sportsman of the year after representing the South Africa in competitions in Egypt and Kenya. In 2022 he competed in the World Team Chess Championship where he was partnered with the likes of Grandmaster Kenny Solomon and International Master Daniel Cawdery going against Grandmasters Anish Giri, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Nihal Sarin and Hans Niemann.

Mhango has represented South Africa in three Chess Olympiads, 2022 on board four, where he finished with 5/9, 2024 on board three(4/8), and 2026 on board three (4/9).

See also

References

  1. ↑ "African Games (Chess) Athlete Profile : Banele Fortune Mhango". African Games ACCRA 2023. Archived from the original on 17 March 2024. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  2. ↑ "FM Banele Fortune Mhango". Lichess. Banele Mhango. Retrieved 16 November 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  3. ↑ carlikoch (15 April 2018). "Ehlanzeni Chess boasts with international stars". Lowvelder. Archived from the original on 13 November 2022. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  4. 1 2 "Banele Mhango | FIDE profile". FIDE. Retrieved 16 November 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  5. ↑ Masiya, Mfundo (16 December 2017). "Banele Mhango wins Bronze at the African Youth Chess Championships". Africa Chess. Archived from the original on 20 November 2022. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  6. 1 2 Khoza, Mandla (11 August 2018). "Chess champ's trip to Greece hangs in doubt". The Sowetan. Archived from the original on 13 November 2022. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  7. ↑ "Teen chess whizz scoops sportsman of the year at inaugural Mpumalanga Sports Awards". The Sowetan. Archived from the original on 13 November 2022. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  8. ↑ Miya, Ntokozo (12 October 2018). "5 times South African kids made us proud". TimesLIVE. Archived from the original on 15 December 2023. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  9. ↑ Jittenmeier, Franz (13 November 2022). "FIDE World Team Championship: Aufstellungen und Gruppenzusammensetzung". Schach-Ticker (in German). Archived from the original on 13 November 2022. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  10. ↑ "FIDE World Team Championship: Lineups and group composition". FIDE. Archived from the original on 13 November 2022. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  11. ↑ "Chess-Results Server Chess-results.com - 44th Chess Olympiad 2022 Open". chess-results.com. Retrieved 29 September 2026.
  12. ↑ "45th Chess Olympiad Budapest 2024 Open". chess-results.com. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
  13. ↑ "46th Chess Olympiad Samarkand 2026 Open". chess-results.com. Retrieved 29 September 2026.