# Bulgarian Chess Championship

The Bulgarian Chess Championship is an event inaugurated in 1933 to crown the best chess player in Bulgaria. The championship has been held on a nearly annual basis since, with only a few years missed. In recent years some of the very best Bulgarian players have not participated in the championship, including former World Champions Veselin Topalov and Antoaneta Stefanova.

## Open championship

    #YearCityMen's ChampionComment 11933VarnaGeorgy GeshevGeshev defeated Yury Toshev (4.5 : 3.5) in a play-off match 21934SofiaGeorgy Geshev 31935RousseGeorgy Geshev 41936SofiaGeorgy Geshev 51937SofiaOleg Neikirch 61938VarnaOleg Neikirch 71940SofiaAlexander Tsvetkov Oleg Neikirch 81942SofiaYury Toshev 91943SofiaOleg Neikirch 101945SofiaAlexander TsvetkovSvetozar Gligoric won (off contest) 111946SofiaPeter Petrov 121947SofiaKamen Piskov Yury Toshev 131948SofiaOleg Neikirch Alexander Tsvetkov 141949SofiaKrstiu Krstev Dimitrov 151950SofiaAlexander Tsvetkov 161951SofiaAlexander Tsvetkov Nikolay Minev Milko BobotsovTsvetkov won ahead of Bobotsov and Minev in BUL-ch playoffs in January 1952 171952SofiaZdravko Milev 181953SofiaNikolay Minev Oleg Neikirch 191954SofiaNikola Padevsky 201955SofiaNikola Padevsky 211957SofiaOleg Neikirch 221958SofiaMilko Bobotsov 231959SofiaVladilen Todorov Popov 241960SofiaZdravko Milev 251961SofiaZdravko Milev 261962SofiaNikola Padevsky 271963SofiaGeorgi Tringov 281964SofiaNikola PadevskyPadevsky defeated Atanas Kolarov (2.5 : 1.5) in a play-off match 291965VarnaNikolay Minev 301966SofiaNikolay Minev 311968SofiaPeicho Chanev Peev 321969PlovdivNikola Spiridonov 331970SofiaLyuben Stoyanov Popov 341971SofiaIvan Radulov 351972SofiaSarkis Stepn Bohosjan 361973SofiaEvgenij Ermenkov 371973SofiaNino Kirov 381974AsenovgradIvan Radulov 391975PernikEvgenij ErmenkovMatch-tournament: 1. Ermenkov 2. Nikola Spiridonov 3. Nikolai Radev 401976SofiaEvgenij Ermenkov 411977SofiaIvan Radulov 421978VratzaNino Kirov 431979SofiaEvgenij ErmenkovErmenkov defeated Krum Georgiev in a play-off match 441980SofiaIvan RadulovRadulov defeated Ventzislav Inkiov (2 : 1) in a play-off match 451981SofiaGeorgi Tringov 461982SofiaVentzislav InkiovInkiov defeated Valentin Lukov in a play-off match 471983PernikDimitar Donchev 481984SofiaKiril Georgiev 491985SofiaGeorgi Tringov 501986SofiaKiril Georgiev 511987ElenitePetar Velikov 521988SofiaDimitar Donchev 531989SofiaKiril Georgiev 541990SofiaVasil Spasov 551991PazardzhikBoris Chatalbashev 561992BankyaAtanas Kolev 571993PirdopPetar Genov 581994SofiaAleksander Delchev 591995SofiaVladimir Georgiev 601996SofiaAleksander Delchev 611997ShumenVasil Spasov 621998DupnitsaBoris Chatalbashev 631999PlovdivPetar Genov 642000AsenovgradVasil Spasov 652001TsarevoAleksander Delchev 662002SofiaMarijan Petrov 672003SofiaVasil Spasov 682004SofiaIvan Cheparinov 692005PlevenIvan Cheparinov 702006SvilengradValentin Iotov 712007PernikBoris Chatalbashev 722008PlovdivVasil Spasov 732009BlagoevgradDejan Bojkov 742010KiustendilBoris Chatalbashev 752011BankyaJulian Radulski 762012PanagyurishteIvan Cheparinov 772013BankyaKiril Georgiev 782014KozloduyKiril Georgiev 792015PlevenKiril Georgiev 802016PlevenMomchil Nikolov 812017MontanaMarian Petrov 822018KozloduyIvan Cheparinov 832019KozloduyAleksander Delchev 842020SofiaMartin Petrov 2023SofiaKiril Georgievhalf a point ahead of 2017 Women's champion Nurgyul Salimova

## Women's championship

    #YearCityWomen's Champion 11951Antonia Ivanova 21952Antonia Ivanova 31953Venka Asenova 41954Antonia Ivanova 51955Paunka Todorova 61956Venka Asenova 71957Antonia Ivanova 81958Antonia Ivanova 91960Venka Asenova 101961Venka Asenova 111962Venka Asenova 121963Venka Asenova 131964Paunka Todorova 141965Venka Asenova 151966Venka Asenova 161967Antonia Ivanova 171968Antonina Georgieva 181969Venka Asenova 191970Antonina Georgieva 201971Antonina Georgieva 211972Vesmina Shikova 221973Evelina Trojanska 231974Tatjana Lematschko 241975Tatjana Lematschko 251976Borislava Borisova-Ornstein 261977Antonina Georgieva 271978Tatjana Lematschko 281979Tatjana Lematschko 291980Rumiana Bojadjieva-Gocheva 301981Tatjana Lematschko 311982SofiaRumiana Bojadjieva-Gocheva Margarita Voiska 321983Margarita Voiska 331984Rumiana Bojadjieva-Gocheva Margarita Voiska 341985Marlen Petrova 351986Stefka Savova 361987SofiaRumiana Bojadjieva-Gocheva 371988Ruzka Genova 381989SofiaRumiana Bojadjieva-Gocheva 391990Vera Peicheva 401991BankyaRumiana Bojadjieva-Gocheva 411992PernikMaja Koen 421993Pavlina Chilingirova 431994Maja Koen 441995Antoaneta Stefanova 451996Maria Velcheva 461997Maria Velcheva 471998Margarita Voiska 481999Maria Velcheva 492000Maria Velcheva 502001PlovdivMaria Velcheva 512002PlovdivMargarita Voiska 522003SofiaMargarita Voiska 532004SofiaMargarita Voiska 542005Veliko TarnovoLiubka Georgieva-Genova 552006SvilengradMargarita Voiska 562007PernikMargarita Voiska 572008PlovdivElitsa Raeva 582009DupnitsaMargarita Voiska 592010DupnitsaMargarita Voiska 602011BankyaAdriana Nikolova 612012PanagyurishteIva Videnova 622013BankyaIva Videnova 632014KozloduyIva Videnova 642015PlevenSvetla Yordanova 652016PlevenElitsa Raeva 662017PlevenNurgyul Salimova 672018ChavdarViktoria Radeva 682019ChavdarViktoria Radeva 692020SofiaBeloslava Krasteva