The German Chess Championship has been played since 1861, and determines the national champion. Prior to 1880, three different federations organized chess activities in Germany: the Westdeutscher Schachbund (WDSB), the Norddeutscher Schachbund (NDSB) and the Mitteldeutscher Schachbund (MDSB). Each one organized its own championship. In 1880, the nationwide Deutscher Schachbund was founded, so afterwards only one German championship was played.

Starting from 1933, the Nazi Party took control of all social activities and until 1943 all chess championships were organized by the Großdeutscher Schachbund. After the end of World War II, separate championships were played in the occupied zones. Afterwards, from 1950 to 1989, two national championships were held in the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic. After the reunification of Germany in 1989, a single tournament has been played.

Championships, 1861–1932

WDSB-Congresses, 1861–1880

{| class="sortable wikitable"

! # !!Year !! City !! Winner |- |1 |1861 |Düsseldorf |no masters participated |- |2 |1862 |Düsseldorf |Max Lange |- |3 |1863 |Düsseldorf |Max Lange |- |4 |1864 |Düsseldorf |Max Lange |- |5 |1865 |Elberfeld |Gustav Neumann |- |6 |1867 |Cologne |Wilfried Paulsen |- |7 |1868 |Aachen |Max Lange |- |8 |1869 |Barmen |Adolf Anderssen |- |9 |1871 |Krefeld |Louis Paulsen |- |10 |1876 |Düsseldorf |Wilfried Paulsen |- |11 | 1877 |Cologne |Johannes Zukertort |- |12 | 1878 |Frankfurt |Louis Paulsen |- |13 |1880 |Braunschweig |Louis Paulsen |}

MDSB-Congresses, 1871–1877

YearCityWinner
11871LeipzigAdolf Anderssen
21876LeipzigAdolf Anderssen
31877LeipzigLouis Paulsen

NDSB-Congresses, 1868–1872

YearCityWinner
11868HamburgMax Lange
21869HamburgAdolf Anderssen
31872AltonaAdolf Anderssen

German Congresses, 1879–1932

{| class="sortable wikitable"

! # !!Year !! City !! Winner |- |1 |1879 | Leipzig |Berthold Englisch |- |2 |1881 | Berlin |Joseph Henry Blackburne  |- |3 |1883 | Nuremberg |Simon Winawer |- |4 |1885 | Hamburg |Isidor Gunsberg |- |5 |1887 | Frankfurt |George Henry Mackenzie |- |6 |1889 | Breslau |Siegbert Tarrasch |- |7 |1892 | Dresden |Siegbert Tarrasch |- |8 |1893 | Kiel |Carl Walbrodt
Curt von Bardeleben |- |9 |1894 | Leipzig |Siegbert Tarrasch |- |10 |1896 | Eisenach |Robert Henry Barnes |- |11 |1898 | Cologne |Amos Burn |- |12 |1900 | Munich |Géza Maróczy
Harry Nelson Pillsbury
Carl Schlechter |- |13 |1902 | Hannover |Dawid Janowski |- |14 |1904 | Coburg |Curt von Bardeleben
Carl Schlechter
Rudolf Swiderski |- |15 |1906 | Nuremberg |Frank James Marshall |- |16 |1908 | Düsseldorf |Frank James Marshall |- |17 |1910 | Hamburg |Carl Schlechter |- |18 |1912 | Breslau |Oldřich Duras
Akiba Rubinstein |- |19 |1914 | Mannheim |Alexander Alekhine |- |20 |1920 | Berlin |Friedrich Sämisch |- |21 |1921 | Hamburg |Ehrhardt Post |- |22 |1922 | Bad Oeynhausen  |Ehrhardt Post |- |23 |1923 | Frankfurt |Ernst Grünfeld |- |24 |1925 | Breslau |Efim Bogoljubow |- |25 |1927 | Magdeburg |Rudolf Spielmann |- |26 |1929 | Duisburg |Carl Ahues |- |27 |1931 | Swinemünde |Efim Bogoljubow
Ludwig Rödl |- |28 |1932 | Bad Ems |Georg Kieninger |}

German Championships, 1933–1949

Championships in Nazi Germany, 1933–1943

{| class="sortable wikitable"

! # !!Year !! City !! Winner |- |1 |1933 | Bad Pyrmont | Efim Bogoljubow |- |2 |1934 | Bad Aachen | Carl Carls |- |3 |1935 | Bad Aachen | Kurt Richter |- |4 |1937 | Bad Oeynhausen | Georg Kieninger |- |5 |1938 | Bad Oeynhausen | Erich Eliskases |- |6 |1939 | Bad Oeynhausen  | Erich Eliskases |- |7 |1940 | Bad Oeynhausen | Georg Kieninger |- |8 |1941 | Bad Oeynhausen | Paul Felix Schmidt 
 Klaus Junge |- |9 |1942 | Bad Oeynhausen | Ludwig Rellstab |- |10 |1943 | Vienna | Josef Lokvenc |}

Western and Soviet zones championships, 1946–1953

Western zone championships, 1947–1953

YearCityWinner
11947 Weidenau Georg Kieninger
21948 Essen Wolfgang Unzicker 
31949 Bad Pyrmont           Efim Bogoljubow
41950 Bad Pyrmont Wolfgang Unzicker
51951 Düsseldorf Rudolf Teschner
61953 Leipzig Wolfgang Unzicker

Soviet zone championships, 1946–1949

YearCityWinner
11946 Leipzig Berthold Koch
21947 Weissenfels Lothar Schmid
31948 Bad Doberan Rudolf Teschner
41949 Bad Klosterlausnitz  Wolfgang Pietzsch 

West and East Germany championships

West Germany championships, 1953–1989

{| class="sortable wikitable"

! # !!Year !! City !! Winner |- |1 |1953 |Berlin | Wolfgang Unzicker |- |2 |1955 |Frankfurt am Main | Klaus Darga |- |3 |1957 |Bad Neuenahr | Paul Tröger |- |4 |1959 |Nürnberg | Wolfgang Unzicker |- |5 |1961 |Bad Pyrmont | Klaus Darga |- |6 |1963 |Bad Pyrmont | Wolfgang Unzicker |- |7 |1965 |Bad Aibling | Wolfgang Unzicker, Helmut Pfleger  |- |8 |1967 |Kiel | Robert Hübner, Hans Besser |- |9 |1969 |Königsfeld | Manfred Christoph |- |10 |1970 |Völklingen | Hans-Joachim Hecht |- |11 |1971 |Berlin | Svetozar Gligorić (international) |- |12 |1972 |Oberursel | Hans Günther Kestler |- |13 |1973 |Dortmund | Hans-Joachim Hecht, Ulf Andersson 
 Boris Spassky (international)  |- |14 |1974 |Menden | Peter Ostermeyer |- |15 |1975 |Mannheim | Walter Browne (international) |- |16 |1976 |Bad Pyrmont | Klaus Wockenfuss |- |17 |1977 |Bad Lauterberg | Anatoly Karpov (international) |- |18 |1978 |Bad Neuenahr | Ludek Pachman |- |19 |1979 |Munich | Boris Spassky, Yuri Balashov
 Ulf Andersson (international) |- |20 |1980 |Bad Neuenahr | Eric Lobron |- |21 |1981 |Bochum | Lubomir Kavalek (international) |- |22 |1982 |Bad Neuenahr | Manfred Glienke |- |23 |1983 |Hannover | Anatoly Karpov (international) |- |24 |1984 |Bad Neuenahr | Eric Lobron |- |25 |1987 |Bad Neuenahr | Vlastimil Hort, Ralf Lau |- |26 |1988 |Bad Lauterberg | Bernd Schneider |- |27 |1989 |Bad Neuenahr | Vlastimil Hort, Eckhard Schmittdiel |}

East Germany championships, 1950–1990

{| class="sortable wikitable"

! # !!Year !! City !! Winner |- |1 |1950 |Sömmerda | Rudolf Elstner |- |2 |1951 |Schwerin | Georg Stein |- |3 |1952 |Binz | Berthold Koch |- |4 |1953 |Jena | Reinhart Fuchs |- |5 |1954 |Meerane | Wolfgang Uhlmann |- |6 |1955 |Zwickau | Wolfgang Uhlmann |- |7 |1956 |Leipzig | Reinhart Fuchs |- |8 |1957 |Sömmerda | Burkhard Malich |- |9 |1958 |Schkopau | Wolfgang Uhlmann |- |10 |1959 |Leipzig | Wolfgang Pietzsch |- |11 |1961 |Premnitz | Lothar Zinn |- |12 |1962 |Gera | Wolfgang Pietzsch |- |13 |1963 |Aschersleben | Günther Möhring |- |14 |1964 |Magdeburg | Wolfgang Uhlmann |- |15 |1965 |Annaberg-Buchholz  | Lothar Zinn |- |16 |1967 |Colditz | Wolfgang Pietzsch |- |17 |1968 |Weimar | Wolfgang Uhlmann |- |18 |1969 |Schwerin | Lutz Espig |- |19 |1970 |Freiberg | Friedrich Baumbach |- |20 |1971 |Strausberg | Lutz Espig |- |21 |1972 |Görlitz | Manfred Schöneberg |- |22 |1973 |Erfurt | Burkhard Malich |- |23 |1974 |Potsdam | Rainer Knaak |- |24 |1975 |Stralsund | Wolfgang Uhlmann |- |25 |1976 |Gröditz | Wolfgang Uhlmann |- |26 |1977 |Frankfurt/Oder | Lothar Vogt |- |27 |1978 |Eggesin | Rainer Knaak |- |28 |1979 |Suhl | Lothar Vogt |- |29 |1980 |Plauen | Hans-Ulrich Grünberg |- |30 |1981 |Fürstenwalde | Wolfgang Uhlmann |- |31 |1982 |Salzwedel | Rainer Knaak |- |32 |1983 |Cottbus | Rainer Knaak, Wolfgang Uhlmann  |- |33 |1984 |Eilenburg | Rainer Knaak |- |34 |1985 |Jüterbog | Wolfgang Uhlmann |- |35 |1986 |Nordhausen | Wolfgang Uhlmann |- |36 |1987 |Glauchau | Raj Tischbierek |- |37 |1988 |Stralsund | Lutz Espig, Thomas Pähtz |- |38 |1989 |Zittau | Hans-Ulrich Grünberg |- |39 |1990 |Bad Blankenburg | Raj Tischbierek, Thomas Pähtz |}

German championships since 1991

{| class="sortable wikitable"

! # !!Year !! City !! Winner |- |1 |1991 | Bad Neuenahr | Vlastimil Hort |- |2 |1993 | Bad Wildbad | Thomas Luther, Thomas Pähtz |- |3 |1994 | Binz | Peter Enders |- |4 |1995 | Binz |Christopher Lutz |- |5 |1996 | Dudweiler | Matthias Wahls |- |6 |1996 | Nussloch | Rustem Dautov, Artur Yusupov  |- |7 |1997 | Gladenbach | Matthias Wahls |- |8 |1998 | Bremen | Jörg Hickl |- |9 |1999 | Altenkirchen | Robert Hübner |- |10 |2000 | Heringsdorf | Robert Rabiega |- |11 |2001 | Altenkirchen | Christopher Lutz |- |12 |2002 | Saarbrücken | Thomas Luther |- |13 |2004 | Höckendorf | Alexander Graf |- |14 |2005 | Altenkirchen | Artur Yusupov |- |15 |2006 | Osterburg | Thomas Luther |- |16 |2007 | Bad Königshofen  | Arkadij Naiditsch |- |17 |2008 | Bad Wörishofen | Daniel Fridman |- |18 |2009 | Saarbrücken | Arik Braun |- |19 |2010 | Bad Liebenzell | Niclas Huschenbeth |- |20 |2011 | Bonn | Igor Khenkin |- |21 |2012 | Osterburg | Daniel Fridman |- |22 |2013 | Saarbrücken | Klaus Bischoff |- |23 |2014 | Verden an der Aller | Daniel Fridman |- |24 |2015 | Saarbrücken | Klaus Bischoff |- |25 |2016 | Lübeck | Sergey Kalinitschew |- |26 |2017 | Apolda | Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu |- |27 |2018 | Dresden | Rainer Buhmann |- |28 |2019 | Magdeburg | Niclas Huschenbeth |- |29 |2020 | Magdeburg |Matthias Blübaum |- |30 |2021 | Magdeburg |Jonas Rosner |- |31 |2022 | Magdeburg |Leonardo Costa |- | 32 | 2023 | Ostfildern |Vitaly Kunin |- | 33 | 2024 | Ostfildern |Dmitrij Kollars |- | 34 | 2025 | Munich |Vincent Keymer |}

Women

Congress of the German Chess Federation, 1927

YearCityWinner
1927MagdeburgMittelmann

Championships of the Greater German Chess Federation, 1939–1943

YearCityWinner
1939StuttgartFriedl Rinder
1942Bad OeynhausenEdith Keller
1943ViennaGertrud Jürgens

All-German championships, 1947–1953

YearCityWinner
1947SeesenEdith Keller
1949MunichFriedl Rinder
1951Bad KlosterlausnitzEdith Keller
1952SchwerinEdith Keller-Herrmann
1953WaldkirchEdith Keller-Herrmann

Championships of West Germany, 1953–1989

YearCityWinner
1955KrefeldFriedl Rinder
1956WolfratshausenFriedl Rinder
1957LindauHelga Axt
1958GießenHelga Axt
1959DahnFriedl Rinder
1960BüdingenMaria Scheffold
1961WennigsenHelga Axt
1962EckernfördeAnneliese Brandler
1963KrefeldHannelore Lucht
1964BremenIrmgard Kärner
1965Wangen im AllgäuOttilie Stibaner
1968FürstenfeldbruckUrsula Wasnetsky
1970LauterbachAnni Laakmann
1972BurgAnni Laakmann
1974KasselAnni Laakmann
1976BrilonAnni Laakmann
1978DeleckeBarbara Hund
1980Schwäbisch GmündIsabel Hund
1982PorzBarbara Hund
1984Bad AiblingBarbara Hund
1987Bad LauterbergUte Späte
1989Bad AiblingIsabel Hund

Open German Women's Championships since 1971

YearCityWinner
1971Zell am HarmersbachGertrud Renz
1973Bad AiblingDoina Pfleger
1975Zell am HarmersbachUrsula Wasnetsky
1977Weißenhäuser StrandMaria Kuch
1979WittlichChristel Neumark
1981BrilonAnnette Borik
1983PorzRaissa Wapnitschnaja
1986Zell am HarmersbachAnnette Borik
1988BraunfelsRita Kas-Fromm
1990Bad NeustadtJordanka Mičić
1992Bad NeustadtMarina Olbrich
1994WuppertalEkaterina Borulya
1996DresdenAnita Just
1998WeimarGundula David
2000RodewischTatjana Vasilevich
2002Bad BrückenauHeike Vogel
2004Osterburg (Altmark)Sandra Krege
2006Bad KönigshofenPetra Blažková
2008KerkwitzAntje Fuchs
2010GladenbachHeike Vogel
2012GladenbachAntje Fuchs

International Open German Women's Championships since 1977

YearCityWinner
1977Bad KissingenMarta Litinskaya
1979Bad KissingenMaia Chiburdanidze
1981Bad KissingenNino Gurieli
2014ErfurtChristina Winterholler
2015Bayerisch EisensteinJutta Ries
2016BodenmaisMelanie Grund

Championships of the Soviet occupation zone, 1948–1949

YearCityWinner
1948Bad DoberanGertrud Nüsken
1949Bad KlosterlausnitzMira Kremer

Championships of the GDR, 1950–1990

YearCityWinner
1950SömmerdaEdith Keller, Gertrud Nüsken
1951SchwerinMira Kremer
1952SchwerinEdith Keller-Herrmann
1953WeißenfelsGertrud Nüsken
1954Bad SaarowUrsula Höroldt
1955ZwickauGertrud Nüsken
1956LeipzigEdith Keller-Herrmann
1957SömmerdaEdith Keller-Herrmann
1958SchkopauWaltraud Schameitat
1959LeipzigEdith Keller-Herrmann
1961PremnitzWaltraud Schameitat
1962GeraWaltraud Schameitat
1963AscherslebenWaltraud Nowarra
1964MagdeburgGabriele Ortlepp
1965Annaberg-BuchholzGabriele Just
1967ColditzWaltraud Nowarra, Ursula Liebert
1968WeimarWaltraud Nowarra
1969SchwerinWaltraud Nowarra
1970FreibergChristina Hölzlein
1971StrausbergChristina Hölzlein
1972GörlitzGabriele Just
1973ErfurtEveline Nünchert
1974PotsdamPetra Feustel
1975StralsundBrigitte Hofmann
1976GröditzPetra Feustel
1977Frankfurt (Oder)Petra Feustel
1978TorgelowBrigitte Hofmann
1979SuhlBrigitte Hofmann
1980PlauenUlricke Seidemann
1981FürstenwaldeAnnett Wagner-Michel
1982SalzwedelIris Bröder
1983CottbusAnnett Wagner-Michel
1984EilenburgIris Bröder
1985JüterbogMarion Heintze
1986NordhausenCarola Manger
1987GlauchauIris Bröder
1988StralsundAntje Riedel
1989ZittauKerstin Kunze
1990Bad BlankenburgGundula Nehse

German championships since 1991

The German Women's Championship is held every odd-numbered year as a 9-round Swiss tournament (DFEM). In even-numbered years an international open tournament is held (IODFEM).[1]

{| class="sortable wikitable"

!Year !! City !! Winner[2] |- |1991 | Beverungen | Anke Koglin |- |1993 | Bad Mergentheim | Marina Olbrich |- |1995 | Krefeld | Tatiana Grabuzova |- |1997 | Ottweiler | Marina Olbrich |- |1999 | Chemnitz | Elisabeth Pähtz |- |2001 | Krefeld | Jessica Nill |- |2003 | Altenkirchen | Annemarie Sylvia Meier |- |2005 | Bad Königshofen | Sandra Krege |- |2007 | Osterburg | Ljubov Kopylov |- |2009 | Hockenheim | Polina Zilberman |- |2011 | Bonn | Sarah Hoolt |- |2013 | Bad Wiessee | Hanna Marie Klek |- |2015 | Bad Wiessee | Zoya Schleining |- |2017 | Bad Wiessee | Jana Schneider |- |2019 | Magdeburg | Marta Michna |- |2020 | Magdeburg |Carmen Voicu-Jagodzinsky |- |2021 | Magdeburg |Elena Köpke |- |2022 | Magdeburg |Lara Schulze |- | 2023 | Ostfildern |Kateryna Dolzhykova |- | 2024 | Ostfildern |Fiona Sieber |- | 2025 | Munich |Dinara Wagner |}

References

  1. ^ "DFEM - Deutscher Schachbund". www.schachbund.de. Retrieved 2016-04-09.
  2. ^ Hund, Gerhard. "Deutsche Schachmeisterschaften der Frauen" (in German). TeleSchach. Retrieved 22 March 2016.