# Venezuelan Chess Championship

The first Venezuelan Chess Championship took place in February 1891 when Rafael Ruíz defeated Rafael Pittaluga in a match for the title (+7 =2 –4). In the second match, Rafael Ruíz drew with Carlos Perret Gentil (+7 =6 –7) in 1894.
Carlos Perret Gentil won the Venezuelan Championship in 1907, and defended the title until 1936, when he died. The first national championship organized by Federación Venezolana de Ajedrez (FVA) was held in 1938. Jaime Bograd (from Romania) won, ahead of Sady Loynaz Páez (from Venezuela), but the second one became a national Venezuelan Champion. He defended the title in matches against Manuel Acosta Silva (Caracas, 1939), José León García Díaz (Maracaibo, 1943), Omar Benítez (Caracas, 1944) and Héctor Estévez (Caracas, 1946). Sady Loynaz died in 1950, and Federación Venezolana de Ajedrez had organized two separate tournaments (Campeonato Nacional and Campeonato de Extranjeros for foreigners who resided in Venezuela) in Caracas in December 1950. The first tournament was won by Julio García, ahead of Irwin Perret Gentil, and the second one – Gerardo Budowski (from France), ahead of Andrés Sadde (from Latvia).
In 1951, Gerardo Budowski, (Campeón de los Extranjeros), beat Julio García, (Campeón Nacional de Venezuela) 6–0, in a match for the Campeón Absoluto de Venezuela title.

## Winners

| Year | Winner |
| 1891–1906 | Rafael Ruíz, Campeón Nacional oficioso |
| 1907–1936 | Carlos Perret Gentil, Campeón Nacional oficioso |
| 1938–1950 | Sady Loynaz Páez, Primer Campeón Nacional Federado |
| 1951 | Gerardo Budowski (Campeón Absoluto) Julio García (Campeón National) |
| 1952-53 | Eduardo Ortega |
| 1954 | Andrés Sadde |
| 1955 | Antonio Medina |
| 1956 | Antonio Medina |
| 1957 | not held |
| 1958 | Antonio Medina |
| 1959 | not held |
| 1960 | Salvador Diaz |
| 1961 | (Napoleón) Alberto Caro |
| 1962 | Manuel Belmonte |
| 1963 | (Napoleón) Alberto Caro |
| 1964 | Laszlo Tapaszto |
| 1965 | Wasil Letchinsky |
| 1966 | Laszlo Tapaszto |
| 1967 | Juan Robles |
| 1968 | (Napoleón) Alberto Caro |
| 1969 | Geber Villarroel |
| 1970 | Anibal Gamboa |
| 1971 | Laszlo Tapaszto |
| 1972 | (Napoleón) Alberto Caro |
| 1973 | (Napoleón) Alberto Caro |
| 1974 | Julio Ostos |
| 1975 | Francisco Carreras |
| 1976 | Antonio Palacios |
| 1977 | Jorge Cuellar |
| 1978 | Salvador Diaz |
| 1979 | Rodrigo Fontecilla, Rafael Escalante |
| 1980 | Julio Ostos |
| 1981 | not held |
| 1982 | not held |
| 1983 | Laszlo Tapaszto |
| 1984 | José Luis Guerra |
| 1985 | Julio Ostos |
| 1986 | not held |
| 1987 | Julio Ostos |
| 1988 | Hernando Guzmán |
| 1989 | ? |
| 1990 | Laszlo Tapaszto |
| 1991 | Noel Navas |
| 1992 | not held |
| 1993 | not held |
| 1994 | Juan Rohl |
| 1995 | Laszlo Tapaszto |
| 1996 | Alexander Hernández |
| 1997 | Oliver Soto |
| 1998 | Johann Álvarez |
| 1999 | Juan Rohl |
| 2000 | Julio Ostos |
| 2001 | Johann Álvarez |
| 2002 | not held |
| 2003 | not held |
| 2004 | not held |
| 2005 | Eduardo Iturrizaga |
| 2006 | Eduardo Iturrizaga |
| 2007 | Eduardo Iturrizaga |
| 2008 | Eduardo Iturrizaga |
| 2009 | Johann Álvarez |
| 2010 | Pedro Martinez |
| 2011 | Félix Ynojosa |
| 2012 | Félix Ynojosa |
| 2013 | Félix Ynojosa |
| 2014 | José Gascón |
| 2015 | Jaime José Romero Barreto |
| 2018 | Ronald Jesus Brizuela Abreu |
| 2019 | Eduardo Iturrizaga |