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 # Year City Winner11871LeipzigAdolf Anderssen21876 LeipzigAdolf Anderssen31877LeipzigLouis Paulsen
NDSB-Congresses, 1868–1872 # Year City Winner11868HamburgMax Lange21869HamburgAdolf Anderssen31872AltonaAdolf 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 # Year City Winner11947 Weidenau Georg Kieninger21948 Essen Wolfgang Unzicker 31949 Bad Pyrmont Efim Bogoljubow 41950 Bad Pyrmont Wolfgang Unzicker51951 Düsseldorf Rudolf Teschner61953 Leipzig Wolfgang Unzicker
Soviet zone championships, 1946–1949 # Year City Winner11946 Leipzig Berthold Koch21947 Weissenfels Lothar Schmid31948 Bad Doberan Rudolf Teschner41949 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 |- | 35 | 2026 | Dresden |Leonardo Costa
Women Congress of the German Chess Federation, 1927 Year City Winner 1927 Magdeburg Mittelmann
Championships of the Greater German Chess Federation, 1939–1943 Year City Winner 1939 Stuttgart Friedl Rinder 1942 Bad Oeynhausen Edith Keller 1943 Vienna Gertrud Jürgens
All-German championships, 1947–1953 Year City Winner 1947 Seesen Edith Keller 1949 Munich Friedl Rinder 1951 Bad Klosterlausnitz Edith Keller 1952 Schwerin Edith Keller-Herrmann 1953 Waldkirch Edith Keller-Herrmann
Championships of West Germany, 1953–1989
Year City Winner 1955 Krefeld Friedl Rinder 1956 Wolfratshausen Friedl Rinder 1957 Lindau Helga Axt 1958 Gießen Helga Axt 1959 Dahn Friedl Rinder 1960 Büdingen Maria Scheffold 1961 Wennigsen Helga Axt 1962 Eckernförde Anneliese Brandler 1963 Krefeld Hannelore Lucht 1964 Bremen Irmgard Kärner 1965 Wangen im Allgäu Ottilie Stibaner 1968 Fürstenfeldbruck Ursula Wasnetsky 1970 Lauterbach Anni Laakmann 1972 Burg Anni Laakmann 1974 Kassel Anni Laakmann 1976 Brilon Anni Laakmann 1978 Delecke Barbara Hund 1980 Schwäbisch Gmünd Isabel Hund 1982 Porz Barbara Hund 1984 Bad Aibling Barbara Hund 1987 Bad Lauterberg Ute Späte 1989 Bad Aibling Isabel Hund
Open German Women's Championships since 1971 Year City Winner 1971 Zell am Harmersbach Gertrud Renz 1973 Bad Aibling Doina Pfleger 1975 Zell am HarmersbachUrsula Wasnetsky 1977 Weißenhäuser Strand Maria Kuch 1979 Wittlich Christel Neumark 1981 Brilon Annette Borik 1983 Porz Raissa Wapnitschnaja 1986 Zell am Harmersbach Annette Borik 1988 Braunfels Rita Kas-Fromm 1990 Bad Neustadt Jordanka Mičić 1992 Bad Neustadt Marina Olbrich 1994 Wuppertal Ekaterina Borulya 1996 Dresden Anita Just 1998 Weimar Gundula David 2000 Rodewisch Tatjana Vasilevich 2002 Bad Brückenau Heike Vogel 2004 Osterburg (Altmark) Sandra Krege 2006 Bad Königshofen Petra Blažková 2008 Kerkwitz Antje Fuchs 2010 Gladenbach Heike Vogel 2012 GladenbachAntje Fuchs
International Open German Women's Championships since 1977 Year City Winner 1977 Bad Kissingen Marta Litinskaya 1979 Bad KissingenMaia Chiburdanidze 1981 Bad KissingenNino Gurieli 2014 Erfurt Christina Winterholler 2015 Bayerisch Eisenstein Jutta Ries 2016 Bodenmais Melanie Grund
Championships of the Soviet occupation zone, 1948–1949 Year City Winner 1948 Bad Doberan Gertrud Nüsken 1949 Bad Klosterlausnitz Mira Kremer
Championships of the GDR, 1950–1990