The games, played at the National Stadium, saw the top two from each group of six make it through to the final to be played over the Easter holidays.
The big story of the semi-finals is that defending champion FIDE Master (FM) Phemelo Khetho will not be defending his title as he crashed out. The FM, seeded top in Group One, started badly with a loss to Cinky Boikanyo in round one. A second defeat to Jona Chaka in the following round put his back against the wall, while a draw in the third round to Bojosi Sabure marked the end of the road. What transpired in this group was totally unexpected, as in the end it was Boikanyo and Edwin Kabelo who made it to the finals. Kabelo won the all-important game against Chaka in the final round when his opponent's cell phone rang. He lost immediately. Boikanyo was made to sweat against Sabure but handled the pressure well to register an impressive victory with the black pieces. For Khetho, his play suffered most likely because he now has to balance chess and his professional life. As has been the case with many before him, this is a big challenge that he will have to overcome.
