Belgian Chess Championship

The Belgian Chess Championship is a championship organised yearly by the Koninklijke Belgische Schaakbond/Fédération Royale Belge des Echecs (Royal Belgium Chess Federation). The winner of the championship is awarded the title: Chess Champion of Belgium.

The first unofficial tournaments were organised by the Cercle des Echecs de Bruxelles (the Chess Club of Brussels). In 1920 the "Fédération Belge des Echecs" (Belgium Chess Federation) was established under the supervision of the four principal chess clubs in Belgium at that time: Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent and Liège. The first official Belgian championship was played in 1921. Two titles were awarded: the title of Champion of Belgium and the title Champion of the Belgium Chess Federation. The title champion of Belgium was reserved for players of the Belgian nationality, whereas non-Belgians could win the championship of the federation. A separate Belgian championship for women was established in 1938. In 1970 the Fédération Belge des Echecs was renamed the Fédération Royale Belge des Echecs and from then on there is only one title, the Chess Champion of Belgium.

• In 1936 there were three Belgian championships, because of fact that some players did not agree with the BSF's way of organising the championship and decided to hold their own. They held actually two: one where only Belgian players were allowed and one international championship.