The SA Closed Championship brings together past, present, and future champions, with IM Daniel Cawdery as the defending SA Open and SA Closed Champion. He first played in the SA Closed in 1998 and immediately qualified for the Olympiad team. The event also features many former champions, with the first SA Open held in 1962.
The list of winners includes GM Lothar Schmid’s perfect score in 1964 and GMs Miguel Najdorf and Michael Stean‘s impressive performances in 1976. Keith Rust from Kwazulu Natal has compiled a database of SA Open results, updated until 2022, which provides a fascinating journey through the history of the event.
