The first Baltic Chess Congress took place in Riga, Latvia (then Russian Empire), in 1899. The winner was Robert Behting, the elder brother of KÃÂrlis BÃÂtià Âà ¡, who won a play-off game with Karl Wilhelm Rosenkrantz. The second Baltic Chess Congress was played in Dorpat, Estonia (then Russian Empire), in 1901. There were four winners.
The first Baltic Chess Championship was held in the city of KlaipÃÂda, Lithuania, on May 22âÂÂ27, 1931. The eight-player single round-robin tournament was won by Isakas Vistaneckis (LTU) 4.5/7, a half point ahead of S. Gordonas (LTU), Paul Saladin Leonhardt (GER), Vladas MikÃÂnas (EST/LTU) and Vladimirs Petrovs (LAT). The three others, Fricis Apà ¡enieks (LAT), Aleksandras Machtas (LTU), and E. Gertschikoff (GER) finished in consecutive places.