LITHUANIA - Cover from Trakai, Lithuania to Braga, Portugal

(Trakai Island Caste postcard)

Cover with 2010 100th Anniversary of Vladas Mikénas stamp and three stamps from the 2009 definitive issue posted on July, 19 2010.
(Special thanks to my friend Yu Kitaev)

100TH ANNIVERSARY OF VLADAS MIKĖNAS

The outstanding Lithuanian chess player Vladas Mikėnas was born in Tallinn (Estonia) in 1910. In 1931, he settled in Lithuania and took part in the first Championship of the Baltic Countries held in Klaipėda. In 1932, the book Šachmatų vadovėlis (Chess Manual) written by V. Mikėnas was published; it was the first book on chess published in the Lithuanian language. In the years 1931–1939, he represented Lithuania in five Chess Olympiads, always at the first board. In 1950, he established the Chess and Draught Club of Lithuania and occupied the position of the director until 1970. In the years 1950–1990, he led chess sections in various periodicals.
V. Mikėnas was the first Lithuanian chess player awarded the International Master title by the World Chess Federation (FIDE) in 1950; in 1987, FIDE awarded him the Honorary Grandmaster title. In 1983, he won the European Team Correspondence Chess tournament. In the period 1983–1985, he was the chief arbiter of the World Chess Championship.
V. Mikėnas belonged to chess players who were playfully called “killers of champions”. This outstanding player has won against A. Alekhine, M. Botvinnik, V. Smyslov, M. Tal (world champions) and D. Bronstein, P. Keres, S. Flohr, E. Bogoljubov, M. Vidmar, G. Stahlberg, G. Maroczy. The best ELO rating of V. Mikėnas is 2669.
Mikenas System was named after Vladas Mikėnas. It is also called the Flohr-Mikenas System.

Issue date: 2010 04 17
Artist R. Tumasonis.
Offset. Art paper. Stamp – 34,5x30 mm. Perf.14.
Sheet of 50 stamps (5x10). The upper margin of a sheet is with inscription.
Face value:2 Lt.
Edition: 300 000.
Printed in "Österreichische Staatsdruckerei GmbH" printing-house in Austria (Vienna).

Definitive postage stamp’s issue of 2009 “WOODEN SACRAL ARCHITECTURE OF LITHUANIA AND WOODEN CHURCH BELFRIES”

Issue date: 2009 02 21
Artist G. Pempė (Nr. 518, 519, 522) and K. Katkus (Nr. 520, 521)
Art paper. Stamp 24x24 mm. Self-adhesive stamps.

10 ct – The Church of Degučiai. 1757.
20 ct – The Church of Inturkė. 1855.
50 ct – Belfry of Tryškiai Church. XVIII a.
1Lt – Belfry of Šaukėnai Church. XVIII a.
1,35 Lt – The Church of Šiaudinė. 1775.

Edition: 1,50 million, 1,50 million, 0,50 million, 2,00 million, 2,00 million.
Printed in „Österreichische Staatsdruckerei GmbH“. Printing-house Austria, Viena.

(Source: Lietuvos Paštas)