The World Senior Chess Championship is an annual chess tournament established in 1991 by FIDE, the World Chess Federation. Participants must have reached 60 years old on 1 January of the year of the event. The World Senior Women Chess Championship is a separate event which requires the participants to be women 50 years old or older.

The championship is organized as an eleven-round Swiss system tournament. It is an open tournament, and each FIDE member federation may send as many players as desired. A separate women’s tournament is held if there are enough participants (at least 10 women from four different FIDE zones). The men’s winner is awarded the title of Grandmaster if he did not already have it, the women’s winner receives the Woman Grandmaster title if she did not already have it.

The 8th World Senior Championship was held 9–23 November 1998 in Grieskirchen, Austria. Vladimir Bagirov (Latvia) won the 200-player men’s section on tie-break over Wolfgang Uhlmann (Germany), both with 8.5/11. Ten players tied a half point behind with 8.0/11, including former World Championship Candidates Mark Taimanov and Borislav Ivkov. WGM Tamar Khmiadashvili (Georgia) won the 24-player women’s section outright with 9.5 points.

The 13th World Senior Championship was held 16–29 November 2003 in Bad Zwischenahn, Germany. IM Yuri Shabanov (Russia) won the 272-player men’s section 9.0/11 on tie-break over GM J?nis Klov?ns (Latvia) and IM Vladimir Bukal (Croatia). WGM Tamar Khmiadashvili (Georgia) won the 22-player women’s section 7.5/9 on tie-break over WGM Marta Litinskaya-Shul (Ukraine).

The 14th World Senior Championship was held 24 October–5 November 2004 in Halle (Saale), Germany. IM Yuri Shabanov (Russia) defended his championship, winning the 215-player men’s section on a tie-break with five players scoring 8.5/11. GM Elena Fatalibekova (Russia) won the 19-player women’s section outright with 8.0/9.

The 16th World Senior Chess Championship was held 11–23 September 2006 in Arvier, Italy. Former World Chess Championship challenger and top seed GM Viktor Korchnoi (Switzerland) won the 126-player men’s section 9.0/11. Competing in his first Senior’s Championship at age 75, Korchnoi won his first four games, drew in the fifth round with J?nis Klov?ns, and then won the next three. Entering the ninth round with a full point lead, Korchnoi drew his final three games to take the ? 3000 gold medal. WGM Ludmila Saunina (Russia), age 54, won the 14-player women’s section by a full point, 8.5/11, to earn ? 700.

Winners

#	Year	City	Men’s Winner	Women’s Winner
1	1991	Bad W?rishofen (Germany)	Vasily Smyslov (Russia)	Eve Ladanyike-Karakas (Hungary)
2	1992	Bad W?rishofen (Germany)	Efim Geller (Russia)	Eve Ladanyike-Karakas (Hungary)
3	1993	Bad Wildbad (Germany)	Mark Taimanov (Russia)	Tatiana Zatulovskaya (Russia)
4	1994	Biel/Bienne (Switzerland)	Mark Taimanov (Russia)	Eve Ladanyike-Karakas (Hungary)
5	1995	Bad Liebenzell (Germany)	Evgeny Vasiukov (Russia)	Nona Gaprindashvili (Georgia)
6	1996	Bad Liebenzell (Germany)	Alexey Suetin (Russia)	Valentina Kozlovskaya (Russia)
7	1997	Bad Wildbad (Germany)	J?nis Klov?ns (Latvia)	Tatiana Zatulovskaya (Russia)
8	1998	Grieskirchen (Austria)	Vladimir Bagirov (Latvia)	Tamar Khmiadashvili (Georgia)
9	1999	Gladenbach (Germany)	J?nis Klov?ns (Latvia)	Tamar Khmiadashvili (Georgia)
10	2000	Rowy (Poland)	Oleg Chernikov (Russia)	Elena Fatalibekova (Russia)
11	2001	Arco (Italy)	J?nis Klov?ns (Latvia)	Elena Fatalibekova (Russia)
12	2002	Naumburg (Germany)	Jusefs Petkevich (Latvia)	Marta Litinskaya (Ukraine)
13	2003	Bad Zwischenahn (Germany)	Yuri Shabanov (Russia)	Tamar Khmiadashvili (Georgia)
14	2004	Halle, Saxony-Anhalt (Germany)	Yuri Shabanov (Russia)	Elena Fatalibekova (Russia)
15	2005	Lignano Sabbiadoro (Italy)	Liuben Spassov (Bulgaria)	Ludmila Saunina (Russia)
16	2006	Arvier (Italy)	Viktor Korchnoi (Switzerland)	Ludmila Saunina (Russia)
17	2007	Gmunden (Austria)	Algimantas Butnorius (Lithuania)	Hanna Ere?ska-Barlo (Poland)
18	2008	Bad Zwischenahn (Germany)	Larry Kaufman (USA) and Mihai Suba (Romania)	Tamara Vilerte (Latvia)
19	2009	Condino (Italy)	Mi?o Cebalo (Croatia)	Nona Gaprindashvili (Georgia)
20	2010	Arco (Italy)	Anatoly Vaisser (France)	Tamar Khmiadashvili (Georgia)
21	2011	Opatija (Croatia)	Vladimir Okhotnik (France)	Galina Strutinskaya (Russia)

See also