The first unofficial Lithuanian Chess Championship was held in Kaunas (Temporary capital of Lithuania ) in 1921. The Champion's title was granted after victorious or drawn match between previous champion and challenger, mostly a winner of Championship of Kaunas (later - the Championship of Lithuania) in the period from 1922 to World War II . The first official Lithuanian championship was held in 1929. The next year, Lithuania joined FIDE , the World Chess Federation.
When Lithuania was part of the Soviet Union (June 1940 – June 1941 and July 1944 – March 1990), players from other Soviet Republics were sometimes invited to play in the championship. In 1951, Ratmir Kholmov won the championship ahead of the guests Andor Lilienthal , Tigran Petrosian , and Vladimir Simagin .
#
Year
City
Winner
(1)
1921
A. Rimša [ 1] [ 2] the winner of Championship of Kaunas
(2)
1922
Antanas Gustaitis became the Champion (Benjamin Blumenfeld emigrated to Russia before a playoff match could be arranged)
(3)
1923
Aleksandras Machtas , Champion of Kaunas
(4)
1924
Aleksandras Machtas , Champion of Kaunas
(5)
1926
Aleksandras Machtas , Champion of Kaunas
(6)
1927
Aleksandras Machtas won a match with S. Gordonas , Champion of Klaipėda (instead of Markas Luckis , Champion of Kaunas)
(7)
1928
Aleksandras Machtas won a match with S. Gordonas , Champion of Klaipėda (instead of Markas Luckis , Champion of Kaunas)
1
1929
Aronas Jeglinas , Champion of Kaunas and Lithuania
2
1930
Isakas Vistaneckis [ 3]
3
1931
Aleksandras Machtas
4
1932
Kaunas
Aleksandras Machtas
5
1933
Vladas Mikėnas won a match against Aleksandras Machtas [ 4]
6
1934
Vladas Mikėnas won a match against Povilas Vaitonis (6:2)
7
1935
Vladas Mikėnas drew a match with Isakas Vistaneckis (8:8)
8
1937
Vladas Mikėnas won a match against Povilas Vaitonis (5.5:4.5)
9
1938
Vladas Mikėnas won a match against Povilas Vaitonis (9:3)
10
1941
Isakas Vistaneckis
11
1942
Leonardas Abramavičius
12
1943
Vilnius
Mečislovas Birmanas [ 5]
*
1944
Povilas Vaitonis was leading the interrupted tournament
13
1945
Kaunas
Vladas Mikėnas
14
1947
Vilnius
Vladas Mikėnas
15
1948
Vilnius
Vladas Mikėnas
16
1949
Vilnius
Ratmir Kholmov , Isakas Vistaneckis
17
1950
Vilnius
Ratmir Kholmov
18
1951
Vilnius
Ratmir Kholmov
19
1952
Vilnius
Ratmir Kholmov
20
1953
Vilnius
Ratmir Kholmov
21
1954
Vilnius
Isakas Vistaneckis
22
1955
Vilnius
Ratmir Kholmov
23
1956
Kaunas
Isakas Vistaneckis
24
1957
Vilnius
Ratmir Kholmov
25
1958
Vilnius
Ratmir Kholmov
26
1959
Vilnius
Isakas Vistaneckis , Ratmir Kholmov
27
1960
Vilnius
Ratmir Kholmov
28
1961
Vilnius
Vladas Mikėnas
29
1962
Druskininkai
Leonidas Maslovas
30
1963
Vilnius
Leonidas Maslovas
31
1964
Vilnius
Vladas Mikėnas
32
1965
Vilnius
Vladas Mikėnas
33
1966
Vilnius
Leonidas Maslovas
34
1967
Vilnius
Algimantas Butnorius
35
1968
Vilnius
Vladas Mikėnas
36
1969
Vilnius
Antanas Algimantas Česnauskis
37
1970
Kaunas
Algimantas Butnorius
38
1971
Vilnius
Jegor Čiukajevas
39
1972
Kaunas
Gintautas Piešina
40
1973
Klaipėda
Algimantas Butnorius
41
1974
Vilnius
Gintautas Piešina
42
1975
Vilnius
Algimantas Butnorius
43
1976
Kaunas
Algimantas Butnorius
44
1977
Klaipėda
Yuri Balashov
45
1978
Vilnius
Gintautas Piešina
46
1979
Panevėžys
Levas Ševeliovas
47
1980
Kaunas
Algimantas Butnorius
48
1981
Klaipėda
Eduardas Rozentalis
49
1982
Plungė
Algimantas Butnorius
50
1983
Vilnius
Aloyzas Kveinys
51
1984
Klaipėda
Gintautas Piešina
52
1985
Vilnius
Algirdas Bandza , Emilis Šlekys
53
1986
Vilnius
Aloyzas Kveinys
54
1987
Vilnius
Vidmantas Mališauskas
55
1988
Vilnius
Gintautas Piešina
56
1989
Klaipėda
Vidmantas Mališauskas
57
1990
Klaipėda
Vidmantas Mališauskas
58
1991
Vilnius
Šarūnas Šulskis
59
1992
Vilnius
Virginijus Dambrauskas
60
1993
Vilnius
Algimantas Butnorius
61
1994
Vilnius
Šarūnas Šulskis
62
1995
Vilnius
Antanas Zapolskis
63
1996
Vilnius
Vytautas Šlapikas
64
1997
Vilnius
Virginijus Grabliauskas [ 6]
65
1998
Vilnius
Vidmantas Mališauskas
66
1999
Vilnius
Antanas Zapolskis
67
2000
Vilnius
Viktorija Čmilytė
68
2001
Kaunas
Šarūnas Šulskis
69
2002
Vilnius
Eduardas Rozentalis
70
2003
Vilnius
Vidmantas Mališauskas
71
2004
Vilnius
Darius Zagorskis
72
2005
Šiauliai
Viktorija Čmilytė
73
2006
Vilnius
Vidmantas Mališauskas
74
2007
Šiauliai
Šarūnas Šulskis
75
2008
Kaunas
Aloyzas Kveinys [ 7]
76
2009
Vilnius
Šarūnas Šulskis
77
2010
Nemenčinė
Vidmantas Malisauskas [ 8]
78
2011
Nemenčinė
Šarūnas Šulskis [ 9]
79
2012
Vilnius
Aloyzas Kveinys
80
2013
Vilnius
Darius Zagorskis
81
2014
Vilnius
Šarūnas Šulskis
82
2015
Kaunas
Šarūnas Šulskis
83
2016
Vilnius
Tomas Laurusas
84
2017
Vilnius
Vidmantas Mališauskas
85
2018
Kaunas
Vidmantas Mališauskas
86
2019
Vilnius
Tomas Laurusas
87
2020
Vilnius
Karolis Jukšta [ 10]
88
2021
Vilnius
Titas Stremavičius [ 11]
89
2022
Vilnius
Karolis Jukšta [ 12]
90
2023
Kaunas
Tomas Laurusas [ 13]
91
2024
Vilnius
Tomas Laurusas [ 14]
Lithuanian Chess Federation and Department of Physical education and Sport (1994) Šachmatų taisyklės (Vilnius)
A. Uogelė (1993) Mano šachmatai
Lietuvos čempionatai (most results and crosstables for 1943–2002)
Lietuvos vyrų šachmatų čempionatai (1943 - 2007) (in Lithuanian)
RUSBASE (part V) 1919-1937,1991-1994
RUSBASE (part IV) 1938-1960
RUSBASE (part III), 1961-1969,1985-1990
RUSBASE (part II) 1970-1984
Hartston, William R. (1977), "Lithuania", in Golombek, Harry (ed.), Golombek's Encyclopedia of Chess , Crown Publishing, p. 182, ISBN 0-517-53146-1
Gaige, Jeremy (1987), Chess Personalia, A Biobibliography , McFarland, ISBN 0-7864-2353-6 (full names and brief biographical details for some players)
FIDE player information (names and birth years for some currently active players)
Details of the 2000 edition
Details 2002-2007 editions
Šarūnas Šulskis biography (in Polish)
Chess national championships
Present Defunct Cities