Belgian Chess Championship
The Belgian Chess Championship is a championship organised yearly by the Koninklijke Belgische Schaakbond/Fédération Royale Belge des Echecs (Royal Belgium Chess Federation). The winner of the championship is awarded the title: Chess Champion of Belgium.
The first unofficial tournaments were organised by the Cercle des Echecs de Bruxelles (the Chess Club of Brussels). In 1920 the "Fédération Belge des Echecs" (Belgium Chess Federation) was established under the supervision of the four principal chess clubs in Belgium at that time: Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent and Liège. The first official Belgian championship was played in 1921. Two titles were awarded: the title of Champion of Belgium and the title Champion of the Belgium Chess Federation. The title champion of Belgium was reserved for players of the Belgian nationality, whereas non-Belgians could win the championship of the federation. A separate Belgian championship for women was established in 1938. In 1970 the Fédération Belge des Echecs was renamed the Fédération Royale Belge des Echecs and from then on there is only one title, the Chess Champion of Belgium.
- In 1936 there were three Belgian championships, because of fact that some players did not agree with the BSF's way of organising the championship and decided to hold their own. They held actually two: one where only Belgian players were allowed and one international championship.
Winners
Year City (Men) Champion of Belgium Women's Champion Champion of the federation 1901 Brussels Eugène Pécher 1905 Brussels E. E. Middleton 1906 Brussels E. E. Middleton 1913 Brussels (F-H. Königs) 1921 Brussels Nicholas Borochovitz Nicholas Borochovitz 1922 Antwerp Edgard Colle Edgard Colle 1923 Ghent George Koltanowski George Koltanowski 1924 Brussels Edgard Colle Edgard Colle 1925 Brussels Edgard Colle Edgard Colle 1926 - Edgard Colle 1927 Ghent (George Koltanowski) - 1928 Ghent Edgard Colle Edgard Colle 1929 Antwerp, Brussels Edgard Colle Edgard Colle 1930 Verviers George Koltanowski George Koltanowski 1931 Brussels Marcel Barzin Marcel Barzin 1932 Brussels J. Kornreich Boruch Israel Dyner
Victor Soultanbeieff1933 Brussels Paul Devos Boruch Israel Dyner 1934 Liège - Victor Soultanbeieff 1935 Antwerp Arthur Dunkelblum Boruch Israel Dyner 1936 Ghent George Koltanowski George Koltanowski * Brussels Albéric O'Kelly de Galway Paul Devos 1937 Brussels Albéric O'Kelly de Galway
Paul DevosAlbéric O'Kelly de Galway
Paul Devos1938 Namur Albéric O'Kelly de Galway Marianne Stoffels Albéric O'Kelly de Galway 1939 - Marianne Stoffels - 1940 Ghent Paul Devos Marianne Stoffels Frits Van Seters 1941 Brussels Paul Devos Elisabeth Cuypers Paul Devos 1942 Brussels Albéric O'Kelly de Galway Marianne Stoffels Frits Van Seters 1943 Brussels Albéric O'Kelly de Galway Elisabeth Cuypers Victor Soultanbeieff 1944 Brussels Albéric O'Kelly de Galway Marianne Stoffels Louis Ambühl
Albéric O'Kelly de Galway1945 Ghent Paul Devos Elisabeth Cuypers Paul Devos 1946 Antwerp Albéric O'Kelly de Galway - - 1947 Ostend Albéric O'Kelly de Galway ? Spoormans - 1948 Bruges Paul Devos Simone Bussers - 1949 Bruges Arthur Dunkelblum Simone Bussers Frits Van Seters 1950 Ghent Robert Lemaire Simone Bussers - 1951 Verviers Albéric O'Kelly de Galway Simone Bussers Albéric O'Kelly de Galway 1952 Ghent Albéric O'Kelly de Galway Simone Bussers Albéric O'Kelly de Galway 1953 Eupen Albéric O'Kelly de Galway Simone Bussers Albéric O'Kelly de Galway 1954 Bruges Jos Gobert Louise Loeffler - 1955 Merksem Jos Gobert Louisa Ceulemans - 1956 Blankenberge Albéric O'Kelly de Galway Louisa Ceulemans Albéric O'Kelly de Galway 1957 Blankenberge Albéric O'Kelly de Galway Louisa Ceulemans Victor Soultanbeieff 1958 Blankenberge Alfons Franck Louise Loeffler Jozef Boey 1959 Blankenberge Albéric O'Kelly de Galway
Jozef BoeyLouise Loeffler Frits Van Seters 1960 Ghent Robert Willaert Louise Loeffler Nikola Karaklajic 1961 Heist Paul Limbos Louise Loeffler Victor Soultanbeieff 1962 Brussels Robert Willaert - Frits Van Seters 1963 Ghent Paul Limbos - Paul Limbos 1964 Mechelen Jozef Boey E Lancel Jozef Boey 1965 Antwerpen Jozef Boey - Frits Van Seters 1966 Brussels François Cornelis - Frits Van Seters 1967 Ostend Jan Rooze Louise Loeffler Frits Van Seters 1968 Brussels Robert Willaert
Albert VandezandeElisabeth Cuypers Y. Ebrahimi 1969 Spa Helmut Schumacher - Helmut Schumacher 1970 Ghent Karl Van Schoor Caroline Vanderbeken Frits Van Seters 1971 Bredene Jozef Boey
Roeland Verstraeten- 1972 Hasselt Friedhelm Freise - 1973 Ostend Robert Willaert - 1974 Hasselt Jean Moeyersons - 1975 Ghent Johan Goormachigh
José Tonoli
Henri WinantsBrenda Decorte 1976 Ostend Gunter Deleyn - 1977 Ostend Ronald Weemaes - 1978 Eupen Richard Meulders - 1979 Ghent Gunter Deleyn - 1980 Sint-Niklaas Alain Defize Simonne Peeters 1981 Sint-Niklaas Richard Meulders
Ronny WeemaesSimonne Peeters 1982 Zwijnaarde Johan Goormachtigh
Thierry PensonBrenda Decorte 1983 Veurne Richard Meulders
Alain DefizeSimonne Peeters 1984 Huy Michel Jadoul Simonne Peeters 1985 Ghent Richard Meulders Isabel Hund 1986 Anderlecht Luc Winants Viviane Caels 1987 Ostend Robert Schuermans Viviane Caels 1988 Huy Michel Jadoul
Richard MeuldersChantal Vandevoort 1989 Ghent Richard Meulders Gina Finegold-Linn 1990 Brasschaat Michel Jadoul Martine Vanhecke 1991 Geraardsbergen Richard Meulders Anne-Marie Maeckelbergh 1992 Morlanwelz Michel Jadoul Martina Sproten 1993 Visé Gorik Cools Greta Foulon 1994 Charleroi Ekrem Cekro Greta Foulon 1995 Geel Ekrem Cekro Greta Foulon 1996 Geel Marc Dutreeuw Snezana Micic 1997 Ghent Juri Vetemaa
Ekrem CekroSnezana Micic 1998 Liège Ekrem Cekro Chantal Vandevoort 1999 Geel Pieter Claesen
Serge VanderwaerenIris Neels 2000 Ghent Vladimir Chuchelov Irina Gorshkova 2001 Charleroi Mikhail Gurevich Irina Gorshkova 2002 Borgerhout Alexandre Dgebuadze Sophie Brion 2003 Eupen Geert Van der Stricht Irina Gorshkova 2004 Westerlo Bart Michiels Heidi Vints 2005 Aalst Alexandre Dgebuadze Elena Van Hoecke 2006 Namur Shahin Mohandesi Marigje Degrande 2007 Namur Alexandre Dgebuadze Marigje Degrande 2008 Eupen Bruno Laurent Wiebke Barbier 2009 Namur Mher Hovhanisian Hanne Goossens 2010 Westerlo Mher Hovhanisian Wiebke Barbier 2011 Westerlo Bart Michiels Anna Zozulia 2012 Lommel Tanguy Ringoir Wiebke Barbier 2013 Antwerp Tanguy Ringoir Irina Gorshkova 2014 Charleroi Geert Van der Stricht Astrid Barbier 2015 Schelle Mher Hovhanisian Hanne Goossens
References
- Etienne Cornil (2007) Les Championnats de Belgique d'Echecs (1901 à 2007), Cercle Royal des Echecs de Bruxelles, .
- Palmaressen Partial winners list of the championship
- Larousse du jeu d'Échecs (1997)
- Portret Albéric O’Kelly de Galway
- 2008 edition
- Belgian Chess Championship 2009