# Latvian Chess Championship

The Latvian Chess Championship (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.
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

    YearCityMen's WinnerWomen's Winner 1924RigaHermanis Matisons 1926-7RigaFricis Apšenieks 1930-1RigaVladimirs Petrovs 1932JelgavaMovsas Feigins 1934RigaFricis Apšenieks 1935RigaVladimirs Petrovs 1937RigaVladimirs PetrovsMilda Lauberte 1938-9RigaVladimirs PetrovsElise Vogel 1941RigaAlexander KoblencsMarta Krūmiņa 1943RigaIgors ŽdanovsMilda Lauberte 1944Udelnaya, Russian SFSRVoldemārs Mežgailis 1945RigaAlexander Koblencs 1946RigaAlexander Koblencs 1947RigaZigfrīds Solmanis 1948RigaAugusts StrautmanisMilda Lauberte 1949RigaAlexander KoblencsMilda Lauberte 1950RigaVoldemārs MežgailisMilda Lauberte 1951RigaMark PasmanMilda Lauberte 1952RigaJānis KļaviņšMilda Lauberte 1953RigaMikhail TalMilda Lauberte 1954RigaJānis KlovānsMilda Lauberte 1955RigaAivars GipslisMilda Lauberte 1956RigaAivars GipslisMilda Lauberte 1957RigaAivars GipslisMilda Lauberte 1958RigaIsrael ZilberZara Nakhimovskaya 1959RigaKārlis KlāsupsZara Nakhimovskaya 1960RigaAivars GipslisMilda Lauberte 1961RigaAivars GipslisZara Nakhimovskaya 1962RigaJānis KlovānsZara Nakhimovskaya 1963RigaAivars GipslisAstra Klovāne 1964RigaAivars GipslisAstra Klovāne 1965RigaMikhail TalAstra Klovāne 1966RigaAivars GipslisBenita Vēja 1967RigaJānis KlovānsVija Rožlapa 1968RigaJānis KlovānsSarma Sedleniece 1969RigaAnatolijs ŠmitsAstra Klovāne 1970RigaJānis KlovānsAstra Klovāne 1971RigaJānis KlovānsVija Rožlapa 1972RigaLev GutmanVija Rožlapa 1973Daugavpils(M) Riga(W)Alvis VītoliņšTamāra Vilerte Ingrīda Priedīte 1974RigaJuzefs Petkēvičs Vladimir KirpichnikovVija Rožlapa 1975RigaJānis Klovāns Anatolijs ŠmitsAstra Goldmane 1976RigaAlvis VītoliņšIlze Rubene 1977RigaAlvis VītoliņšAstra Klovāne 1978RigaAlvis VītoliņšAstra Klovāne 1979RigaJānis KlovānsIngrīda Priedīte 1980RigaValerij ZhuravliovTatjana Voronova 1981RigaAleksander WojtkiewiczAstra Goldmane 1982Riga (M), Jūrmala (W)Alvis VītoliņšAnda Šafranska 1983RigaAlvis VītoliņšAstra Goldmane 1984RigaEdvīns ĶeņģisAnda Šafranska 1985RigaAlvis Vītoliņš Juzefs PetkēvičsTatjana Voronova 1986RigaJānis KlovānsTatjana Voronova 1987RigaEdvīns ĶeņģisTatjana Voronova 1988RigaEdvīns ĶeņģisNatālija Jerjomina 1989RigaEdvīns ĶeņģisIngūna Erneste 1990RigaEdvīns ĶeņģisAnda Šafranska 1991RigaNormunds MiezisAnda Šafranska 1992RigaValerij ZhuravliovAnna Hahn 1993RigaZigurds LankaAnda Šafranska 1994RigaValerij ZhuravliovAnda Šafranska 1995RigaIgors RausisIlze Rubene 1996RigaDaniel FridmanAnda Šafranska 1997RigaEdvīns ĶeņģisAnda Šafranska 1998RigaMāris KrakopsDana Reizniece 1999RigaArturs NeikšānsDana Reizniece 2000RigaViesturs MeijersDana Reizniece 2001RigaGuntars AntomsDana Reizniece 2002RigaIlmārs StarostītsIngūna Erneste 2003RigaEvgeny SveshnikovLaura Rogule 2004RigaEdvīns ĶeņģisIlze Bērziņa 2005RigaEdvīns ĶeņģisLaura Rogule 2006RigaNormunds MiezisLaura Rogule 2008Mežezers (Pļaviņas Municipality)Evgeny SveshnikovIlze Bērziņa 2009Mežezers (Pļaviņas Municipality)Vitālijs SamoļinsLaura Rogule 2010Mežezers (Pļaviņas Municipality)Evgeny SveshnikovLaura Rogule 2011Mežezers (Pļaviņas Municipality)Arturs NeikšānsLaura Rogule 2012RigaVitālijs SamoļinsIlze Bērziņa 2013RigaIgor KovalenkoLaura Rogule 2014RigaIgor KovalenkoKatrīna Šķiņķe 2015RigaArturs NeikšānsLaura Rogule 2016RigaVladimirs SvešņikovsLaura Rogule 2017RigaArturs BernotasLinda Krūmiņa 2018RigaŅikita MeškovsElizabete Limanovska 2019RigaArturs NeikšānsIlze Bērziņa 2020RigaZigurds LankaLaura Rogule 2021RigaRolands BērziņšLaura Rogule 2022RigaIlmārs StarostītsLaura Rogule 2023RigaToms KantānsLaura Rogule 2024RigaGuntis JankovskisIlze Bērziņa

## Multiple champions

    #Men's WinnerTitlesYears 1Jānis Klovāns91954, 1962, 1967–68, 1970–71, 1975, 1979, 1986 2Aivars Gipslis81955-57, 1960–61, 1963–64, 1966 3Edvīns Ķeņģis81984, 1987–90, 1997, 2004–05 4Alvis Vītoliņš71973, 1976–78, 1982–83, 1985 5Vladimirs Petrovs41930, 1935, 1937, 1938 6Aleksandrs Koblencs41941, 1945–46, 1949 7Arturs Neikšāns41999, 2011, 2015, 2019 8Valerij Zhuravliov31980, 1992, 1994 9Evgeny Sveshnikov32003, 2008, 2010 10Fricis Apšenieks21927, 1934 11Voldemārs Mežgailis21944, 1950 12Mikhail Tal21953, 1965 13Anatolijs Šmits21969, 1975 14Juzefs Petkēvičs21974, 1985 15Normunds Miezis21991, 2006 16Vitālijs Samoļins22009, 2012 17Igor Kovalenko22013-14 18Zigurds Lanka21993, 2020 19Ilmārs Starostīts22002, 2022
    #Women's WinnerTitlesYears 1Milda Lauberte131937, 1943, 1948–57, 1960 2Laura Rogule132003, 2005–06, 2009–11, 2013, 2015–16, 2020–23 3Anda Šafranska81982, 1984, 1990–91, 1993–94, 1996–97 4Astra Klovāne71963-65, 1969–70, 1977–78 5Ilze Bērziņa52004, 2008, 2012, 2019, 2024 6Zara Nakhimovskaya41958-59, 1961–62 7Vija Rožlapa41967, 1971–72, 1974 8Tatjana Voronova41980, 1985–87 9Dana Reizniece41998-2001 10Astra Goldmane31975, 1981, 1983 11Ingrīda Priedīte21973, 1979 12Ilze Rubene21976, 1995 13Ingūna Erneste21989, 2002