The Swiss Chess Championship is held annually during two weeks of July. It is organised by the Swiss Chess Federation (the SSB), which has been a member of the overall governing body, Swiss Olympic, since 2000. The SSB is itself a relatively new organising body, created in 1995 as a fusion of two older organisations; these were the former Swiss Chess Federation (the SSV, founded 1889 for the inaugural Championship and prior to 1960, known as the Swiss Chess Association) and the Swiss Worker Chess Federation (the SASB, founded 1923).
From its inception, the Championship format was a 10-player all-play-all, open to both nationals and overseas players. The title of Swiss Champion was however reserved for the highest placed Swiss national. Various changes have been implemented along the way, particularly in respect of the introduction of new Championship categories. The two world wars prevented the Championship from taking place on a small number of occasions, but due to Switzerland's neutral status, the event was less badly affected than in many other countries. There was no competition held in 1968 due to the clash with the Chess Olympiad held in Lugano.
In 2008 the Championship underwent major changes, including running two alternate formats effectively in parallel. The changes were aimed at keeping the tournament accessible to home and overseas players, while expanding the range of opportunities for nationals, both in terms of the Championship itself and also for Elo rating and title seeking purposes. This radically different approach gave rise to a two-year cycle, comprising an open tournament every odd year and a closed (Swiss nationals only) tournament every even year.
Since 2018, the Championship is conducted as an annual, closed, 10-Player Single Round Robin Invitational featuring the best Swiss chess players. Since 2019, The Women's title is distributed in a 6-Player Double Round Robin Invitational. The title for Swiss Junior Champion is awarded to the best placed U20-player in the parallel Master Tournament. Whilst both closed title tournaments are reserved for Switzerland's chess elite, The Master Tournament still features many foreign players. Yet, only Swiss players are eligible for the U20 title. Furthermore, the best placed Swiss player is awarded a spot in the title tournament of the following year.
Throughout the event's long history, several players have won multiple titles, but Hans Johner earns a special mention for his 12 titles, spanning an incredible forty-two years (1908–1950). Joe Gallagher, a seven-times Champion, has dual nationality and also won the British Championship in 2001, a unique achievement.
Open Champions {| class="sortable wikitable" Year Venue Men's champion 1889 Zürich Max Pestalozzi Artur Popławski 1890 Winterthur Max Pestalozzi Artur Popławski 1892 Basel Oswald Corrodi Paul Fahrni 1893 Bern Alex Popoff 1895 Zürich Ulrich Bachmann 1896 Luzern Ulrich Bachmann Alfred Stooss 1897 Aarau Hermann Sack 1898 Basel Ulrich Bachmann 1899 Lausanne Moriz Henneberger 1900 Bern Andreas Duhm 1901 St. Gallen Max Pestalozzi Eugen Meyer Andreas Duhm Hans Duhm 1902 Biel Eugen Meyer 1903 Zürich Ernst Müller 1904 Luzern Walter Henneberger 1905 Neuenburg Alfred Hänni 1906 Basel Moriz Henneberger Walter Henneberger 1907 Schaffhausen Dietrich Duhm Paul Johner Karl Kunz 1908 Bern Hans Johner Paul Johner 1909 Zürich Moriz Henneberger 1910 Geneva Oskar Naegeli 1911 Davos Moriz Henneberger Walter Henneberger Kurt Krantz Erwin Voellmy 1912 Lausanne Walter Henneberger 1913 Basel Andreas Duhm 1914 Montreux Dietrich Duhm Moriz Henneberger 1920 St. Gallen Erwin Voellmy 1922 Neuenburg Erwin Voellmy 1923 Bern Hans Johner 1924 Interlaken Otto Zimmermann 1925 Zürich Paul Johner 1926 Geneva Walter Michel 1927 Biel Adolf Staehelin 1928 Basel Hans Johner Paul Johner 1929 Schaffhausen Hans Johner 1930 Lausanne Paul Johner 1931 Winterthur Hans Johner 1932 Bern Hans Johner Paul Johner | valign="top" | {| class="sortable wikitable" ! Year !! Venue !! Men's champion |- | 1934 || Zürich || Hans Johner |- | 1935 || Aarau || Hans Johner |- | 1936 || Luzern || Oskar Naegeli |- | 1937 || Interlaken || Hans Johner |- | 1938 || Basel || Hans Johner |- | 1939 || Montreux || Henri Grob |- | 1941 || Aarau, Basel Bern, Zürich || Fritz Gygli |- | 1942 || Lausanne || Jules Ehrat |- | 1943 || St. Gallen || Martin Christoffel |- | 1944 || Vevey || Paulin Lob |- | 1945 || Lugano || Martin Christoffel |- | 1946 || Winterthur || Ernst Strehle |- | 1947 || Neuenburg || Hans Johner |- | 1948 || Bern || Martin Christoffel |- | 1949 || Schaffhausen || Serge Tordion |- | 1950 || Luzern || Hans Johner |- | 1951 || Geneva || Henri Grob |- | 1952 || Zürich || Martin Christoffel |- | 1953 || Solothurn || Max Blau |- | 1954 || Basel || Josef Kupper |- | 1955 || Rapperswil || Max Blau |- | 1956 || Thun || Max Blau |- | 1957 || Lausanne || Josef Kupper |- | 1958 || Lugano || Dieter Keller |- | 1959 || Biel || Paulin Lob |- | 1960 || Balgach || Dieter Keller |- | 1961 || Interlaken || Dieter Keller |- | 1962 || St. Gallen || Josef Kupper |- | 1963 || Basel || Dieter Keller |- | 1964 || Montreux || Marcel Markus |- | 1965 || Bern || Marcel Markus |- | 1966 || Lugano || Edwin Bhend |- | 1967 || Biel || Max Blau |- | 1968 || || Not held |- | 1969 || Luzern || André Lombard |- | 1970 || Riehen || André Lombard |- | 1971 || Winterthur || Heinz Schaufelberger |- | 1972 || Locarno || Heinz Schaufelberger |- | 1973 || Weggis || André Lombard |- | 1974 || Wettingen || André Lombard |- | 1975 || Zürich || Werner Hug |- | 1976 || Ascona || Hansjürg Kaenel |- | 1977 || Muttenz || André Lombard |- | 1978 || St. Moritz || Hansjürg Kaenel |- | 1979 || Biel || Heinz Wirthensohn |- | 1980 || Ascona || Hansjürg Kaenel |- | 1981 || Biel || Heinz Wirthensohn |- | 1982 || Silvaplana || Viktor Korchnoi |- | 1983 || Baden || Andreas Huss |- | 1984 || Arosa || Viktor Korchnoi |} | valign="top" | {| class="sortable wikitable" ! Year !! Venue !! Men's champion |- | 1985 || Silvaplana || Viktor Korchnoi |- | 1986 || Basel || Markus Klauser |- | 1987 || Lenk || Richard Gerber |- | 1988 || Silvaplana || Roland Ekström |- | 1989 || Biel || Beat Züger |- | 1990 || Arosa || Ivan Nemet |- | 1991 || Chiasso || Jean-Luc Costa |- | 1992 || Leukerbad || Heinz Wirthensohn |- | 1993 || Silvaplana || Jean-Luc Costa |- | 1994 || Luzern || Lucas Brunner |- | 1995 || Villars, Ollon || Yannick Pelletier |- | 1996 || Arosa || Viktor Gavrikov |- | 1997 || Silvaplana || Joe Gallagher |- | 1998 || Engelberg || Joe Gallagher |- | 1999 || Grächen || Roland Ekström |- | 2000 || Pontresina || Yannick Pelletier |- | 2001 || Scuol || Roland Ekström |- | 2002 || Leukerbad || Yannick Pelletier |- | 2003 || Silvaplana || Florian Jenni |- | 2004 || Samnaun || Joe Gallagher |- | 2005 || Saas Almagell || Joe Gallagher |- | 2006 || Lenzerheide || Florian Jenni |- | 2007 || Leukerbad ||Joe Gallagher |- | 2008 || Samnaun ||Roland Ekströmschachbund.ch |- | 2009 || Grächen ||Viktor Korchnoischachbund.ch |- | 2010 || Lenzerheide || Yannick Pelletier |- | 2011 || Leukerbad || Viktor Korchnoi |- | 2012 || Flims || Joe Gallagher |- | 2013 || Grächen || Alexandra Kosteniuk |- | 2014 || Bern || Yannick Pelletier |- | 2015 || Leukerbad || Vadim Milov |- | 2016 || Flims || Noel Studer |- | 2017 || Grächen || Yannick Pelletier |- | 2018 || Lenzerheide || Sebastian Bogner |- | 2019 || Leukerbad || Noel Studer |- | 2020 || || Not held |- | 2021 || Flims || Joe Gallagher |- | 2022 || Samnaun || Fabian Bänziger |- | 2023 || Leukerbad || Fabian Bänziger |- | 2024 || Flims || Sebastian Bogner |- | 2025 || Disentis || Sebastian Bogner |- | 2026 || Grächen || Teimur Toktomushev
Women's Champions {| class="sortable wikitable" Year Venue Women's champion 1946WinterthurMathilde Laeuger-Gasser 1948BernElisabeth Schild 1950LuzernElisabeth Schild 1951GenfLina Wiget 1953SolothurnAnna Näpfer 1954BaselElisabeth Schild 1955RapperswilAnna Näpfer 1956ThunAnna Näpfer 1957LausanneMadeleine Batchinsky-Gaille 1958LuganoAnna Näpfer 1959BielAnna Näpfer 1960BalgachAnna Näpfer 1961InterlakenMadeleine Batchinsky-Gaille 1963BaselMathilde Laeuger 1964MontreuxMonique Petit 1965BernMaria Fässler Cécile Huser K. Fischler 1966LuganoMathilde Laeuger 1967BielAnna Näpfer 1968 Not held 1969LuzernMyrta Ludwig 1970RiehenAnna Näpfer 1971WinterthurElsa Lüssy 1972LocarnoCarla Wettstein 1973WeggisElsa Lüssy 1974WettingenTrudy André 1975ZürichCarla Wettstein 1976AsconaAnna Näpfer 1977MuttenzMyrta Ludwig 1978St. MoritzMyrta Ludwig 1979BielMonique Ruck-Petit 1980AsconaTheres Leu 1981BielVanda Veprek-Bilinski 1982SilvaplanaClaude Baumann 1983BadenErika Vogel 1984ArosaTatiana Lematschko 1985SilvaplanaAnne Knecht 1986BaselTatiana Lematschko 1987LenkClaude Baumann 1988SilvaplanaClaude Baumann 1989BielEvi Reimer | valign="top" | {| class="sortable wikitable" ! Year !! Venue !! Women's champion |- | 1990||Arosa||Silvia Schladetzky |- | 1991||Chiasso||Claude Baumann |- | 1992||Leukerbad||Evi Grünenwald-Reimer |- | 1993||Silvaplana||Barbara Hund |- | 1994||Luzern||Shahanah Schmid |- | 1995||Villars, Ollon||Tatiana Lematschko |- | 1996||Arosa||Evi Grünenwald-Reimer |- | 1997||Silvaplana||Tatiana Lematschko |- | 1998||Engelberg||Catherine Thürig |- | 1999||Grächen||Shahanah Schmid |- | 2000||Pontresina||Evi Grünenwald-Reimer |- | 2001||Scuol||Monika Seps |- | 2002||Leukerbad||Monika Seps |- | 2003||Silvaplana||Tatiana Lematschko |- | 2004||Samnaun||Tatiana Lematschko |- | 2005||Saas Almagell||Monika Seps |- | 2006||Lenzerheide||Tatiana Lematschko |- | 2007||Leukerbad||Monika Seps |- | 2008 || Samnaun || Tatjana Lematschko |- | 2009 || Grächen || Tatjana Lematschko |- | 2010 || Lenzerheide || Tatjana Lematschko |- | 2011 || Leukerbad || Alexandra Kosteniuk |- | 2012 || Flims || Monika Seps |- | 2013 || Grächen || Alexandra Kosteniuk |- | 2014 || Bern || Gundula Heinatz |- | 2015 || Leukerbad || Alexandra Kosteniuk |- | 2016 || Flims || Laura Stoeri |- | 2017 || Grächen || Lena Georgescu |- | 2018 ||Lenzerheide||Gundula Heinatz |- | 2019 || Leukerbad || Elena Sedina |- | 2020 || || Not held |- | 2021 || Flims || Lena Georgescu |- | 2022 || Samnaun || Lena Georgescu |- | 2023 || Leukerbad || Sofiia Hryzlova |- | 2026 || Grächen || Sofiia Hryzlova
References
SSB list of men's champions SSB list of women's champions