Latvian Chess Championship
The Latvian Chess Champsionship (Latvian: Latvijas Šaha čempionāts) is the annual national chess tournament of Latvia among men and women players, which was established in 1924. It is organized by the Latvian Chess Federation (Latvian: Latvijas Šaha federācija, previously - Latvian Chess Union, Latvian: Latvijas Šaha savienība).
History
The first professional Latvian chess players can be traced back to the 19th century, when Latvia was a part of the Russian Empire. They participated in chess tournaments and union congresses, organized by the Riga Chess Association which was founded in 1890. After World War I and the Latvian War of Independence and the establishment of the Latvian Chess Union in 1924, the official Latvian chess championship tradition was started as the Latvian Chess Congresses. The first Latvian Chess Congress took place in 1924 in Riga.[1]
After the start of the Soviet occupation of Latvia the 1940 edition was not held, but in 1941 the first Chess Championship of the Latvian SSR was played. The tournament was also played once during the German occupation during WWII, in 1943. After the restoration of Latvian independence, the Latvian Championship returned in 1990.
The tournament has been mostly held in the capital Riga and the village of Mežezers of Pļaviņas Municipality in southern Vidzeme.
Championships and winners
Multiple champions
# Men's Winner Titles Years 1 Jānis Klovāns 9 1954, 1962, 1967-68, 1970-71, 1975, 1979, 1986 2 Aivars Gipslis 8 1955-57, 1960-61, 1963-64, 1966 3 Edvīns Ķeņģis 8 1984, 1987-90, 1997, 2004-05 4 Alvis Vītoliņš 7 1973, 1976-78, 1982-83, 1985 5 Vladimirs Petrovs 4 1930, 1935, 1937, 1938 6 Aleksandrs Koblencs 4 1941, 1945-46, 1949 9 Arturs Neikšāns 4 1999, 2011, 2015, 2019 7 Valērijs Žuravļovs 3 1980, 1992, 1994 8 Evgeny Sveshnikov 3 2003, 2008, 2010 10 Fricis Apšenieks 2 1927, 1934 11 Voldemārs Mežgailis 2 1944, 1950 12 Mikhail Tal 2 1953, 1965 13 Anatolijs Šmits 2 1969, 1975 14 Jusefs Petkevich 2 1974, 1985 15 Normunds Miezis 2 1991, 2006 16 Vitālijs Samoļins 2 2009, 2012 17 Igor Kovalenko 2 2013-14 18 Zigurds Lanka 2 1993, 2020
# Women's Winner Titles Years 1 Milda Lauberte 13 1937, 1943, 1948-57, 1960 2 Laura Rogule 10 2003, 2005-06, 2009-11, 2013, 2015-16, 2020 3 Anda Šafranska 8 1982, 1984, 1990-91, 1993-94, 1996-97 4 Astra Klovāne 7 1963-65, 1969-70, 1977-78 5 Zara Nakhimovskaya 4 1958-59, 1961-62 6 Vija Rožlapa 4 1967, 1971-72, 1974 7 Tatjana Voronova 4 1980, 1985-87 8 Dana Reizniece 4 1998-2001 10 Ilze Bērziņa 4 2004, 2008, 2012, 2019 9 Astra Goldmane 3 1975, 1981, 1983 11 Ingrīda Priedīte 2 1973, 1979 12 Ilze Rubene 2 1976, 1995 13 Ingūna Erneste 2 1989, 2002
Notes
- "šahs Latvijā". Latvian National Encyclopedia (in Latvian). Retrieved 2020-12-16.
- Match victory over Elise Vogel 4:0
- Additional tournament results: 1. Elise Vogel 3 (+3, =0, -1) 2. Emīlija Šmite 2 (+2, =0, -2) 3. Marta Krūmiņa 1 (+1, =0, -3)
- Vladimir Alatortsev played 'hors concours' in the 1945 Latvian Championship at Riga, and won the tournament (but not the title)
- Match victory over Igors Ždanovs 4:3 (+3, =2, -2)
- Mark Taimanov played 'hors concours' in the 1949 Latvian Championship at Riga, and won the tournament (but not the title)
- Match victory over Lidiya Paramonova 3,5:0,5
- Match victory over Zara Nakhimovskaya 3,5:2,5 (+2, =3, -1)
- Match victory over Ārija Jansone 3,5:1,5 (+3, =1, -1)
- Olga Ignatieva played 'hors concours' in the 1957 Latvian Women's Championship at Riga, and won the tournament (but not the title)
- Match victory over Aivars Gipslis 3,5:2,5 (+1, =5, -0)
- Match victory over Pēteris Kampenuss 4:3 (+3, =2, -2)
- Match victory over Astra Klovāne 2,5:1,5 (+2, =1, -1)
- Match victory over Valērijs Žuravļovs 4:2 (+3, =2, -1)
- Match victory over Ilga Kļaviņa 3,5:1,5 (+3, =1, -1)
- Match victory over Juzefs Petkēvičs 3,5:1,5 (+2, =3, -0)
- Match victory over Anda Šafranska 3:1 (+3, =0, -1)
- Match victory over Alvis Vitolinš 2:0
- Additional tournament results: 1. Edvīns Ķeņģis 2,5 (+1, =3, -0) 2. Jānis Klovāns 2 (+1, =2, -1) 3. Alvis Vitolinš 1,5 (+1, =1, -2)
- Evgeny Sveshnikov won the open tournament (but not the title)
- Match victory over Alvis Vitolinš 2,5:1,5 (+2, =1, -1)
- Sergey Okrugin won the open tournament (but not the title)
- Match victory over Jānis Daudzvārdis 2:0
- Tuulikki Laesson won the open tournament (but not the title)
- Match victory over Olita Rause 2,5:1,5 (+2, =1, -1)
- Additional match with Anda Šafranska was drawn 2:2 (+1, =2, -1) but Ilze Rubene had the better Berger coefficient in the main tournament
- Match victory over Juzefs Petkēvičs 2,5:1,5 (+1, =3, -0)
- Match victory over Tatjana Voronova 2,5:1,5 (+1, =3, -0) (Ventspils)
- Additional tournament results: 1. Ilmārs Starostīts 1,5 (+1, =1, -0) 2. Viesturs Meijers 1 (+1, =0, -1) 3. Rolands Bērziņš 0,5 (+0, =1, -1)
- Best of Latvian participants in "Riga Open - 2004"
- Daniil Lintchevski won the open tournament (but not the title)
External links
- Whyld, Ken (1986), Chess: The Records, Guinness Books, pp. 104–105, ISBN 0-85112-455-0 (results through 1985)
- Popovsky, Alexey, Russian Chess Base chapter "Championships of Republics" (Latvian Championships results: 1941–1990)
- Daugavpils Chess, archived from the original on 2012-01-14, retrieved 2011-05-18 chapter "Turnīri - Latvijas čempionātu rezultāti" (Latvian Championships results: 1924–1993)
- Crowther, Mark (17 March 2003), THE WEEK IN CHESS 436: Latvian Championships 2003, London Chess Center
- Crowther, Mark (23 August 2004), THE WEEK IN CHESS 511: Riga 2004, London Chess Center
- Crowther, Mark (23 May 2005), THE WEEK IN CHESS 550: Latvian Championships, London Chess Center
- Crowther, Mark (17 April 2006), THE WEEK IN CHESS 597: Latvian Championships, London Chess Center
- Žuravļevs, N.; Dulbergs, I.; Kuzmičovs, G. (1980), Latvijas šahistu jaunrade (in Latvian), Riga: Avots (results through 1979)