Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen
Čmilytė-Nielsen in 2023
Speaker of the Seimas
In office 13 November 2020 – 14 November 2024
Preceded by	Viktoras Pranckietis
Succeeded by	Saulius Skvernelis
Leader of the Liberal Movement
Incumbent
Assumed office 21 September 2019
Preceded by	Eugenijus Gentvilas
Leader of the Opposition
In office 23 March 2019 – 10 September 2019
Preceded by	Andrius Kubilius
Succeeded by	Julius Sabatauskas
Member of the Seimas
Incumbent
Assumed office 13 November 2020
Preceded by	Mykolas Majauskas
Constituency	Senamiestis-Žvėrynas
In office 21 April 2015 – 12 November 2020
Preceded by	Remigijus Šimašius
Constituency	Multi-member
Personal details
Born	Viktorija Čmilytė (1983-08-06) 6 August 1983 (age 42) Šiauliai, Lithuania
Political party	Liberal Movement
Spouses	Alexei Shirov ​ ​ (m. 2001; div. 2007)​ Peter Heine Nielsen ​ (m. 2013)​
Children	4
Alma mater	University of Latvia (BA)
Chess career
Title	Grandmaster (2010)
FIDE rating	2538 (August 2025)
Peak rating	2542 (June 2017)

Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen (born Viktorija Čmilytė on August 6, 1983) is a well-known Lithuanian politician and a chess Grandmaster. She served as the Speaker of the Seimas, which is like the head of the Lithuanian parliament, from 2020 to 2024. In the world of chess, she earned the top title of Grandmaster from FIDE (the international chess federation) in 2010. She was also the European women's chess champion in 2011 and has won the Lithuanian championship twice.

Čmilytė-Nielsen started her political journey in 2015. She joined the Liberal Movement party and became a member of the Seimas, Lithuania's parliament. She was re-elected in the 2016 parliamentary election. Over time, she became more important within her party. In 2019, she became the opposition leader in the Seimas. Later that year, she was chosen to lead the Liberal Movement party. She led her party in the 2020 election, where they won 13 seats in parliament.

Early Life and Education

Viktorija Čmilytė was born in Šiauliai, a city in Lithuania. She started playing chess when she was six years old. Her father, Viktoras Čmilis, was her coach and also led the Šiauliai Chess Club.

After finishing school, Čmilytė moved to Riga, the capital of Latvia. She studied at the University of Latvia and earned a degree in English in 2007.

Chess Career Highlights

Čmilytė's early chess training was guided by her father. She quickly showed great talent.

Youth Chess Success

• In 1993, she won the European Youth Chess Championship for girls under 12.
• She also won the World Youth Chess Championship in the same age group in 1995.

National and International Achievements

• In 2000, at just 16 years old, Čmilytė won both the women's and the main national championships of Lithuania. She beat several strong players to win the main championship.
• She won the main Lithuanian championship again in 2005 in her hometown.
• In 2001, she was ranked as the top girl chess player by FIDE.
• She won the Corus Reserve Group tournament in the Netherlands in the same year.
• Čmilytė earned silver medals at the European Women's Individual Championship in 2003, 2008, and 2010.
• She won the European Women's Rapid Chess Championship in 2007.
• In 2010, she officially became a Grandmaster.
• Finally, in 2011, Čmilytė won the gold medal at the European Women's Individual Championship.

World Championship Appearances

Čmilytė competed in the Women's World Chess Championship several times:

• In 2000, she reached the third round.
• In 2004, she made it to the quarterfinals.
• In 2006, she reached the semifinals, which is a very impressive achievement.
• She also competed in 2008, 2010, and 2015.

Team Chess Competitions

Čmilytė has represented Lithuania in many team chess events.

• She played for the Lithuanian team in the 2010 Chess Olympiad.
• She also played in several Women's Chess Olympiads.
• She won two individual gold medals for her performance on board one (the top board) in 2000 and 2004.
• She first joined the national team when she was only thirteen years old.

Political Career

Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen started her political journey in 2015.

Parliamentary Role

• She became a member of the Seimas (Lithuania's parliament) in 2015. She took the seat after Remigijus Šimašius resigned to become the mayor of Vilnius.
• In 2016, she was re-elected to parliament. She worked on committees dealing with European affairs and human rights.
• She gained more influence in her party, serving as a deputy leader and then leader of the Liberal Movement's group in parliament.
• In 2019, she became the opposition leader in the Seimas. This meant she was the main spokesperson for the parties not in power.
• She later stepped down as opposition leader but was elected to lead the entire Liberal Movement party in September 2019.

Leading the Liberal Movement

• As the leader, Čmilytė-Nielsen guided the Liberal Movement in the 2020 parliamentary election. Her party won 13 seats.
• After the election, her party formed a coalition government with the Homeland Union and the Freedom Party.
• This new government was notable because it was led by three women: Ingrida Šimonytė (Prime Minister), Čmilytė-Nielsen, and Freedom Party leader Aušrinė Armonaitė.
• On November 12, 2020, Čmilytė-Nielsen was nominated to become the speaker of the Seimas.
• She was elected Speaker the next day with 106 votes. She became the third woman to hold this important position.

Personal Life

Besides her native Lithuanian, Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen also speaks English, Russian, and Spanish.

She married chess grandmaster Alexei Shirov in 2001, and they later divorced in 2007. In 2013, she married another chess grandmaster, Peter Heine Nielsen from Denmark. She has four children.

Honours and Awards

Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen has received several awards for her contributions.

National Honours (Lithuania)

• Knight's Cross of the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas
• Knight's Cross of the Order for Merits to Lithuania

Foreign Honours

•  Taiwan: Medal of Honor for Parliamentary Diplomacy
•  Ukraine: Member 2nd Class of the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise

See also

In Spanish: Victoria Cmilyte para niños