Hungarian Chess Championship

The inaugural Hungarian Chess Championship was held in the city of Győr in 1906. Initially, there was no governing body responsible for its organisation, until the formation of the Hungarian Chess Federation. The HCF first appeared in 1911, but failed to establish itself properly until 1923.

The regularity of the Championship was patchy prior to 1950, due in part to the two world wars and inadequate funding. Since 1949 however, the HCF has been integrated with the Hungarian Sports Federation and so receives state support. Consequently, the Championship has since been held on an annual basis, with only the occasional omission. Exceptionally two consecutive events have occurred in the same year, due to the event being held at the year end.

The events held in 1981, 1984, 1991 and 1997 were all termed Super Championships. In both 1985 and 1988, the traditional national championship was substituted by an open championship and the winner of both editions was the Hungarian IM Béla Perényi.

As might be expected, the venue for the event has mostly been the capital city, Budapest. The events held post-World War II carry the official numbering (#) shown below, while the events held prior to 1945 are tagged with the letter 'p' (#p).

The 1999 championship (49th Men's, 47th Women's) was held 1–9 February in Lillafüred. In the men's section, the ten-player single round-robin tournament (average Elo rating 2553) was won by GM Zoltán Almási 6.0/9, a half point ahead of GM Gyula Sax and GM Zoltán Varga. The ten-player women's single round-robin (average Elo 2261) was won by WM Nóra Medvegy on tie-break over IM Ildikó Mádl, both with 6.0/9. Although invited by the Hungarian Chess Federation, some of the strongest Hungarian players chose not play this event including Susan Polgar, Judit Polgár, Zsófia Polgár, Péter Lékó, Lajos Portisch, and Zoltán Ribli.

Men's winners

#	Year	City	Winner
01p	1906	Győr	Zoltán von Balla
02p	1907	Székesfehérvár	Leó Forgács
03p	1911	Budapest	Zoltán von Balla, Zsigmond Barász
04p	1912	Temesvár	Gyula Breyer
05p	1913	Debrecen	Lajos Asztalos
06p	1922	Budapest	Kornél Havasi
07p	1924	Györ	Géza Nagy
08p	1928	Budapest	Árpád Vajda
09p	1931	Budapest	Lajos Steiner
10p	1932	Budapest	Géza Maróczy
11p	1933	Budapest	Esteban Canal
12p	1934	Budapest	Erich Eliskases
13p	1935	Tatatóváros	László Szabó
14p	1936	Budapest	Lajos Steiner
15p	1937	Budapest	László Szabó
16p	1941	Budapest	Géza Füster
17p	1942	Budapest	Gedeon Barcza
18p	1943	Diósgyőr	Gedeon Barcza
01	1945	Budapest	Tibor Florián
02	1946	Budapest	László Szabó
03	1947	Budapest	Gedeon Barcza
04	1948	Budapest	Pal Benko
05	1950(1)	Budapest	Gedeon Barcza
06	1950(2)	Budapest	László Szabó
07	1951	Budapest	Gedeon Barcza
08	1952	Budapest	László Szabó
09	1953	Budapest	Bela Sandor
10	1954	Budapest	László Szabó
11	1955	Budapest	Gedeon Barcza
12	1957	Budapest	Gedeon Barcza
13	1958(1)	Budapest	Lajos Portisch
14	1958(2)	Budapest	Lajos Portisch
15	1959	Budapest	László Szabó
16	1961	Budapest	Lajos Portisch
17	1962	Budapest	Lajos Portisch
18	1963	Budapest	István Bilek
19	1964	Budapest	Lajos Portisch
20	1965(1)	Budapest	István Bilek
21	1965(2)	Budapest	Lajos Portisch
22	1966	Budapest	Gedeon Barcza
23	1967/8	Budapest	László Szabó
24	1968/9	Budapest	Győző Forintos
25	1969	Budapest	Péter Dely
26	1970	Budapest	István Bilek
27	1971	Budapest	Lajos Portisch
28	1972	Budapest	István Csom
29	1973	Budapest	András Adorján, Zoltán Ribli, István Csom
30	1974	Budapest	Zoltán Ribli
31	1975	Budapest	Lajos Portisch
32	1976	Budapest	Gyula Sax
33	1977	Budapest	Gyula Sax, Zoltán Ribli
34	1978	Budapest	József Pintér
35	1979	Budapest	József Pintér
36	1980	Budapest	Peter Lukacs
37	1981	Budapest	Lajos Portisch
38	1982	Budapest	Attila Schneider
39	1984	Budapest	Tibor Karolyi
40	1986	Budapest	Iván Faragó
41	1989	Budapest	Attila Schneider
42	1991	Budapest	Judit Polgár
43	1992	Budapest	András Adorján
44	1993	Gyula	András Adorján
45	1994	Budapest	Csaba Horváth
46	1995	Budapest	Zoltán Almási
47	1996	Budapest	Zoltán Varga
48	1997	Budapest	Zoltán Almási
49	1998	Budapest	Csaba Horváth
50	1999	Lillafüred	Zoltán Almási
51	2000	Budapest	Zoltán Almási
52	2002	Balatonlelle	Róbert Ruck
53	2003	Heviz	Zoltán Almási
54	2004	Budapest	Ferenc Berkes
55	2005	Kazincbarcika	Zoltán Gyimesi
56	2006	Szekesfehervar	Zoltán Almási
57	2007	Budapest	Ferenc Berkes
58	2008	Nyíregyháza	Zoltán Almási
59	2009	Szeged	Zoltán Almási
60	2010	Szeged	Ferenc Berkes

References

• Fehér, Gyula (1991–2005), Magyar Országos SakkTájékoztató, results 1991–2005
• Whyld, Ken (1986), Guinness Chess, The Records, Guinness Publishing, ISBN 0851124550 (men's winners up to 1985, except for Men's 1984 entry, which appears erroneous, see below)
• [1] - corrected 1984 entry (Men's)
• Sunnucks, Anne (1970), The Encyclopaedia of Chess, Hale, ISBN 0709110308
• Crowther, Mark (15 February 1999), THE WEEK IN CHESS 223: 49th Hungarian Championships 1999, London Chess Center
• Crowther, Mark (10 June 2002), THE WEEK IN CHESS 396: 52nd Hungarian Championships 2002, London Chess Center
• Crowther, Mark (23 May 2005), THE WEEK IN CHESS 550: 55th Hungarian Championships 2005, London Chess Center
• 53rd Hungarian Championship
• 56rd Hungarian Championship
• Susan Polgar on the 1986 edition
• Short bio of Attila Schneider
• Women's 2007 event Zsuzsa Veroci report
• Chessbase Database online

Women's winners

#	Year	City	Winner
38	1957	Gyor	Eva Ladanyike Karakas
39	1959	Gyor	Irene Hoensch
40	1960	Gyor	Irene Hoensch
41	1965	Gyor	Irene Hoensch
42	1990	Gyor	Ildiko Madl
43	1991	Heviz	Ildiko Madl
44	1992	Heviz	Rita Hennigan
45	1993	Heviz	Ildiko Madl
46	1995	Budapest	Eva Forgo
47	1996	Heviz	Monika Grabics
48	1997	Budapest	Nikoletta Lakos
49	1999	Lillafüred	Nóra Medvegy, Ildiko Madl
50	2000	Budapest	Anita Gara
51	2001	Budapest	Anita Gara
52	2002	Budapest	Nikoletta Lakos, Szidonia Vajda
53	2003	Budapest	Yelena Dembo
54	2004	Budapest	Szidonia Vajda
55	2005	Szeged	Nikoletta Lakos
56	2008	Visegrád	Anna Rudolf
57	2009	Eger	Anita Gara, Ticia Gara
58	2010	Nyíregyháza	Anna Rudolf
59	2011	Szeged	Anna Rudolf, Ticia Gara, Veronika Schneider

2011

HUN-ch (Women) 59th

	Player	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	Tot	TB	Perf.	+/-
1	Ticia Gara (Hungary)	2375	*	½	½	½	½	1	1	½	½	1	6	24.75	2370	0
2	Anna Rudolf (Hungary)	2359	½	*	1	0	½	1	0	1	1	1	6	23.75	2370	+2
3	Veronika Schneider (Hungary)	2297	½	0	*	0	1	½	1	1	1	1	6	22.00	2377	+10
4	Anita Gara (Hungary)	2340	½	1	1	*	0	0	½	1	1	½	5½	23.25	2332	-1
5	Melinda Goczo (Hungary)	2204	½	½	0	1	*	½	0	½	1	1	5½	21.75	2346	+18
6	Petra Papp (Hungary)	2256	0	0	½	½	½	*	1	½	½	½	5		2300	+6
7	Eszter Dudas (Hungary)	2212	0	0	½	0	1	0	*	1	½	1	4		2228	+2
8	Melinda Varga (Hungary)	2139	½	½	½	0	½	½	0	*	½	½	3½		2196	+6
9	Zsofia Domany (Hungary)	2215	0	½	0	0	0	½	½	½	*	1	2		2049	-19
10	Lili Toth (Hungary)	2216	0	0	½	1	0	½	0	½	0	*	1½		1987	-24

Average Elo: 2261 <=> Cat: 1

(45 games)

2010

HUN-ch (Women) 58th

	Player	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	Tot	TB	Perf.	+/-
1	Anna Rudolf (Hungary)	2344	*	0	1	1	½	1	1	1	1	1	7½		2497	+15
2	Lili Toth (Hungary)	2175	½	*	1	0	½	1	0	1	1	1	6	27.25	2357	+23
3	Melinda Goczo (Hungary)	2234	½	0	*	0	1	½	1	1	1	1	6	23.00	2350	+15
4	Nikoletta Lakos (Hungary)	2389	½	1	1	*	0	0	½	1	1	½	5½		2302	+2
5	Petra Papp (Hungary)	2270	½	½	0	1	*	½	0	½	1	1	4½		2227	-5
6	Eszter Hidegh (Hungary)	2146	0	0	½	½	½	*	1	½	½	½	4		2201	+6
7	Veronika Schneider (Hungary)	2339	0	0	½	0	1	0	*	1	½	1	3½		2141	-25
8	Maria Pinterne Kovacs (Hungary)	2139	½	½	½	0	½	½	0	*	½	½	3		2121	-3
9	Klara Varga (Hungary)	2223	0	½	0	0	0	½	½	½	*	1	2½	10.00	2066	-19
10	Boglarka Erdos (Hungary)	2147	0	0	½	1	0	½	0	½	0	*	2½	8.50	2074	-9

(45 games)

2009

HUN-ch (Women) 57th

	Player	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	Points	TB	Perf.	+/-
1	Ticia Gara (Hungary)	2354	*	0	1	1	½	1	1	1	1	1	7	28.00	2478	+14
2	Anita Gara (Hungary)	2353	½	*	1	0	½	1	0	1	1	1	7	26.50	2478	+14
3	Petra Papp (Hungary)	2159	½	0	*	0	1	½	1	1	1	1	5½	23.00	2361	+25
4	Nora Medvegy (Hungary)	2344	½	1	1	*	0	0	½	1	1	½	5½	19.50	2341	0
5	Nikoletta Lakos (Hungary)	2310	½	½	0	1	*	½	0	½	1	1	5	19.25	2305	0
6	Szidonia Vajda (Hungary)	2375	0	0	½	½	½	*	1	½	½	½	5	18.00	2298	-9
7	Anna Rudolf (Hungary)	2313	0	0	½	0	1	0	*	1	½	1	4		2141	-11
8	Eszter Dudas (Hungary)	2141	½	½	½	0	½	½	0	*	½	½	3		2121	+2
9	Sarolta Toth (Hungary)	2236	0	½	0	0	0	½	½	½	*	1	2	10.00	2066	-20
10	Mariann Csatari (Hungary)	2117	0	0	½	1	0	½	0	½	0	*	1	8.50	2074	-15

Average Elo: 2270 <=> Cat 1

(45 games)

References

• Fehér, Gyula (1991–2005), Magyar Országos SakkTájékoztató, results 1991–2005
• Whyld, Ken (1986), Guinness Chess, The Records, Guinness Publishing, ISBN 0851124550 (men's winners up to 1985, except for Men's 1984 entry, which appears erroneous, see below)
• [2] - corrected 1984 entry (Men's)
• Sunnucks, Anne (1970), The Encyclopaedia of Chess, Hale, ISBN 0709110308
• Crowther, Mark (15 February 1999), THE WEEK IN CHESS 223: 49th Hungarian Championships 1999, London Chess Center
• Crowther, Mark (10 June 2002), THE WEEK IN CHESS 396: 52nd Hungarian Championships 2002, London Chess Center
• Crowther, Mark (23 May 2005), THE WEEK IN CHESS 550: 55th Hungarian Championships 2005, London Chess Center
• 53rd Hungarian Championship
• 56rd Hungarian Championship
• Susan Polgar on the 1986 edition
• Short bio of Attila Schneider
• Women's 2007 event Zsuzsa Veroci report
• Chessbase Database online