The Latvian championship was held for the first time in 1924 and took place irregularly (eight times in total) before the Second World War. After the annexation by the Soviet Union and the occupation by the German Reich in World War II, the competition was held three times between 1941 and 1944 as the championship of the General District of Latvia, which is part of the Reichskommissariat Ostland , and from 1945 to 1990 as the championship of the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic (LSSR). Latvia has been independent again since 1991. The record champion is Jānis Klovāns , who won the LSSR championship nine times; Vladimir Petrovs won the championship of independent Latvia the most with four titles.
The women's championship was first held in 1937 and took place four times until 1943; the competition has been held annually since 1948. The record champion is Milda Lauberte with 13 titles (one each in independent Latvia and one in the general district of Latvia, eleven times in the LSSR); the women's championship of independent Latvia won Laura Rogule the most with nine titles.
Latvian champions during the interwar independence
