# Panamanian Chess Championship

The Panamanian Chess Championship is the individual national chess championship of Panama. The first edition was played in 1945 and won by Rubén Darío Cabrera. It was originally a biennial event, and from 1945 to 1961 six championships were played, and from 1962 to 1971 eight championships. From 1972 to 1976, it was held annually, but the tournament of 1977 never finished because the beginning of a long schism in Panamanian chess. From 1978 to 1988, it was again held annually.
In 1982 and 1989, and from 1991 to 2004, two organizations held separate events, resulting in two champions, but in 1990 there was a single competition, and therefore one champion. In 2004 both federations made peace, and since 2005 then there has only been one championship each year. At the end of the 1970s, the first women's chess championship was started, and it became an annual event in 2002. Panama is the only country in the world where a father and daughter have been champions in the same year twice: 2004 and 2008. To show the rise of new isthmian chess, Panama took by the first time, in 2008 the [[Absolut Sub-Zonal 2.3.2 (CentroAmerican)]] by the hand of Jorge Baúles, first IM of Panama. In the youth categories, the signal (abs) show a champion in one big tournament with various categories at same time.
In 2010 there was no play because of official budget trouble with "Pandeportes", the government sports entity (which had three chiefs in only eleven months), and the tournament was played in the firsts months of 2011. In the final round of the 2014 tournament, two players were tied in all playoffs and were proclaimed champions. One is a foreigner, but changed his country flag as Panamanian in ratings.fide.com in March 2015, and is the fourth to win the title. Usually the Panamanian common considered overseas with over five years of residence, as one of their own.

## Champions

| Year | Winner (men) | Winner (women) | Winner (Universitarian Champion) | (men Youth Champion) | (women Youth Champion) | Winner (men scholarship) | Winner (women scholarship) |
| 1945 | Rubén Darío Cabrera | | | | | | |
| 1947 | Enrique Linares | | | | | | |
| 1953 | Juan Evans | | | | | | |
| 1956 | Francisco Denis | | | | | | |
| 1958 | Francisco Pérez Arauz | | | | | | |
| 1960 | Francisco Pérez Arauz | | | | | | |
| 1961 | Francisco Pérez Arauz | | | | | | |
| 1962 | Francisco Pérez Arauz | | | | | | |
| 1964 | Francisco Pérez Arauz | | | | | | |
| 1965 | Francisco Pérez Arauz | | | | | | |
| 1966 | Francisco Pérez Arauz | | | | | | |
| 1967 | Francisco Pérez Arauz | | | | | | |
| 1969 | Francisco Pérez Arauz | | | | | | |
| 1970 | Francisco Pérez Arauz | | | | | | |
| 1971 | Francisco Pérez Arauz | | | | | | |
| 1972 | Juan Ramón Martínez D'ettore | | | | | | |
| 1973 | Juan Ramón Martínez D'ettore | | | Adrián Miranda (abs) | | | |
| 1974 | Bolívar Fábrega A. | | | Mario Hay (abs) | | | |
| 1975 | Bolívar Fábrega A. | | | | | | |
| 1976 | Bolívar Fábrega A. | | Bolívar Fábrega A. | Elio Ortíz (abs) | | Jorge Lam (U17) | |
| 1977 | | | Bolívar Fábrega A. | César Concepción (U13) | | | |
| 1978 | Iván Saucedo | | | | | |
| 1979 | Pablo Cuéllar | Lidia Ferrer | | | | | |
| 1980 | Mario Hay | | | Agustín Cantilo-Paz (abs) | | | |
| 1981 | Blass Barría | | | | | | |
| 1982 | Blass Barría , Alberto Lombana, Alberto Lombana (blitz) | | | Bolívar Conte Ponce (abs) | | | |
| 1983 | Nestor Sosa | | | José Guardiola (U13) | | | |
| 1984 | Blass Barría | | | Yasser Valdés (U13) | | | |
| 1985 | Jorge Luis Arosemena, Agustín Cantilo-Paz (blitz) | | Agustín Cantilo-Paz | Tonci Korsano (abs), Carlos Tuñón (U13) | | J. Wong (U17) | |
| 1986 | Elio Ortíz | | | Ludwig Martínez | | | |
| 1987 | Javier De León | | | | | | |
| 1988 | Javier De León Benjamin Rivera Silvera | | | | | | |
| 1989 | Javier De León Francisco Pérez Arauz | | | | | | |
| 1990 | Blass Barría | | | | | | Michelle Aizpurua Martinis |
| 1991 | Agustín Cantilo-Paz | | Jorge Luis Arosemena | | | | Michelle Aizpurua Martinis |
| 1992 | | | | | Michelle Aizpurua Martinis | | Michelle Aizpurua Martinis |
| 1993 | Javier De León | | | | Michelle Aizpurua Martinis | | Michelle Aizpurua Martinis |
| 1994 | Mario Hay Nestor Sosa | | Gabriel Quintero Garzola | | Michelle Aizpurua Martinis | | Michelle Aizpurua Martinis |
| 1995 | Miguel Gamboa Ricardo Hill | | | | Michelle Aizpurua Martinis | Francisco Castroverde(U17) | Michelle Aizpurua Martinis |
| 1996 | Mario Hay | | | Héctor Díaz (abs) | Michelle Aizpurua Martinis | Luis Aquije (U17) | Michelle Aizpurua Martinis |
| 1997 | Mario Hay | | Héctor Díaz | Luis A. Hidalgo(abs)/ | | Luis A. Hidalgo (U17) | Angelini Batista (U17) |
| 1998 | vacancy | | | | | Ramiro Rosas (U17) | Yolanda Villarreal (U17) |
| 1999 | Jorge Luis Arosemena | | | | | Luis A. Hidalgo (U17) | Amada Birbraguer (U17) |
| 2000 | Jorge Luis Arosemena | | | Jorge Sánchez(abs) | | Luis Esquivel Golcher (U17) | |
| 2001 | Jorge Baúles Walter Alvarez | | | Luis A. Hidalgo | Yaribeth González (abs) | Rancés Valdés (U17) | Raisa Barría (U17) |
| 2002 | Héctor Díaz | Raisa Barría | | Jorge Baúles | Raisa Barría (abs) | Gilberto Madrid (U17) | Raisa Barría (U17) |
| 2003 | Mario Hay | Raisa Barría | | Luis Esquivel Golcher (abs) | | Gilberto Madrid (U17) | |
| 2004 | Jorge Luis Arosemena Mario Hay | Betty Arosemena | | Rances Valdés | | | |
| 2005 | Javier De León | Yaribeth González | | Ramsés Chaves (U14), Alhan Carrera Dubois (U12), Giandanello Manzanares(U10) | Angélica Lam (U14) | | |
| 2006 | Mario Hay | Betty Arosemena | | | | Luis Pan (U17) | Alba Muñoz (U17) |
| 2007 | Jorge Luis Arosemena | Yaribeth González | | Carlos Neira (abs) | | | |
| 2008 | Jorge Luis Arosemena | Betty Arosemena | | Patrick Aizpurua (abs, U16), Antonio Daniels (U20), Efraim Espinosa (U18), José Battikh (U14), Alexei Tapia O. (U12), Jorge Ocaña (U10), José Chaluja Prieto (U8) | Alba Muñoz (abs, U18), Karen Quintero (U20), Angélica Lam (U16), Cristy Young (U14), Katherine Young (U12) | Patrick Aizpurua (U17) | Alba Muñoz (U17) |
| 2009 | Jorge Baúles | Raisa Barría | | José Pittí (U20-U18), Patrick Aizpurua (U16), José Battikh (U14), Alexei Tapia O.(U12), José Chaluja (U10) | Alba Muñoz (abs, U16), Cristina Arosemena (U18), Dalia Arosemena (U14), Katherine Young (U12), Liann Sun (U10) | Alhan Carrera Dubois (U17) | Kristy Young (U17) |
| 2010 | vacancy | vacancy | | Alexei Tapia O. (U14), Adrián Fuentes (U12), Brandon Carrasco (U10), Miguel Machaj (U8) | Katryn Young (U14), Lyann Sun (U12) | Ramses Chaves (U17) | Cristina Arosemena (U17) |
| 2011 | Rancés Valdés | Raisa Barría | | vacancy | | Patrick Aizpurua (17), José Chaluja U12) | Cristina Arosemena (U17), Yeisy Hardy Robinson(U12) |
| 2012 | Jorge Baúles | Yaribeth González | | vacancy | | Alexei Tapia O. (U17) | Junny Zhang Ng (U17) |
| 2013 | Jorge Baúles | | | Alexei Tapia O.(abs) | Kathryn Young (abs) | Robert Sun (U12), Alexei Tapia (U17) | |
| 2014 | Efrén Ramos/Alexei Tapia O. | Yaribeth González | Patrick Aizpurúa | Ruben Ulloa (abs, U20), Alexei Tapia O. (U18), Brandon Carrasco (U16), | Kathia Laffaurie(absolute, U20), Fátima Delgado (U16) | Alexei Tapia (U17) | |
| 2015 | Jorge Baúles, Jorge Baúles (blitz) | Yaribeth González | Patrick Aizpurua | Alex Delgado (abs, U20), Adrian Fuentes (U18), Edilberto Del Cid (16) | Noelys Alvarado (abs, U20), Junny Zhang (U18), Fátima Delgado (U15) | Robert Sun Chin (U15), Reynaldo Sanjur González (U12) | Noelys Batista Santamaria (U12), Fatima Pineda Liu (U15) |
| 2016 | Jorge Baúles | Raisa Barría | | | | Robert Sun Chin (U17), André Mendez Machado (U12) | Fátima Delgado Rosas (U17), Cindy Alfredo Lucas (U12) |
| 2017 | Jorge Baúles | Raisa Barría | | Robert Sun Chin (abs, U16), Alexei Tapia O. (U20), José A. Chaluja Prieto (U18), Jose A. Delgado Rosas (U14) | Carolina Hau (U20), Yeisy Hardy Robinson (abs, U16), Marianna M. Bonilla Rosas (U14) | Alex J. Escobar De Gracia (U12) | Ania N. Rosales Espinosa (U12) |
| 2018 | Roberto Carlos Sánchez Álvarez | Raisa Barría | | Robert Sun Chin (abs) | Fátima Delgado Rosas (abs) | Robert Sun Chin (U17) | Fátima Delgado Rosas |
| 2019 | Jorge Baúles | Raisa Barría | | Aldair Ferreira Araujo (U20), Robert Sun Chin (U18), Kendry Finlay (U16), Luis Gonzalez De la Guardia (U14), Andre Mendez Machado (U12), Bruno Rodriguez (U10), Manuel Ignacio Gomes (U8) | Any Zhang Ng (U20), Yeisy Hardy Robinson (U18), Lourdes Vasquez Jaen (U16), Salma Gomez Morales (U14), Mariana Del Carmen Navarro (U12), Ashley Castillo (U10), Fatima Mendez Machado (U8) | | |
| 2020 | Roberto Carlos Sánchez Álvarez | Raisa Barría | | | | | |
| 2021 | Roberto Carlos Sánchez Álvarez | Raisa Melissa Barría Baker | | | | | |
| 2022 | Roberto Carlos Sánchez Álvarez | Lourdes Lorena Vásquez Jaén | | Nicolás Arturo Batista Rosas (U18),Arno Fascio Outerbridge (U16),Samir Camargo Silva (U14),Adrián Ignacio Cortés Franco (U12),Iván Said Herrera Gómez (U10),Edgar Said Duarte González (U08) | | | |
| 2023 | Roberto Carlos Sánchez Álvarez | Raisa Melissa Barría Baker | | | | | |