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. The biggest winners of the national championship are László Tapasztló (6), Julio Ostos (5), Félix Ynojosa (5), Eduardo Iturrizaga (4) Johann Álvarez (4) and Alberto Caro (4).
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 Without information 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 Félix Ynojosa 2015 José Rafael Gascón del Nogal 2016 Jaime José Romero Barreto 2017 Reivis Gabriel Brizuela Abreu 2018 Interim champions: Johann Alvarez, Oscar Zavarce and Franklin Palomo 2019 Covid-19 pandemic started. Interim champions: José Rafael Gascón del Nogal, Alvaro Dias Huizar and Pedro Ramón Martínez Reyes 2020 Franklyn Annervys Palomo 2021-2022 Kevin Sánchez Álvarez 2023-2024 Felix Ynojosa
References