Der Erste und Zweite Kongress des Deutschen Schachbundes

viii+228 pages with diagrams and tables lacks frontispiece. Octavo (8" x 5 1/2") bound in 3/4 leather with black boards and gilt lettering to spine. (Bibliotheca Van der Linde-Niemeijeriana:5210) First edition.

The city of Leipzig was the birthplace of the Deutschen Schachbund on July 18th, 1877. Over the next two years sixty-two chess clubs would become members of the foundling chess federation. Hofrat von Gottschall became the chairman of the federation and Hermann Zwanzig was made the general secretary. The Deutschen Schachbund reconvened at the Schützenhaus on July 15th, 1879. To commemorate the meeting, a Schachkongresse master's tournament was organized. This inaugural event was largely an internal affair. Three invitations went out to Austrian chess masters: Berthold Englisch, Karl Pitschel, and Adolf Schwarz. The remaining nine seats went to German chess masters: Louis and Wilfried Paulsen, Max Bier, Ernst Flechsig, Fritz Riemann, Emil Schallopp, Arnold Schottlaender, Johannes Von Minckwitz, and Carl Wemmers. The field and format were extremely limited, with two rounds being played on most days of the tournament. Records have been such that ten of the sixty-six games have not survived to the present day, and therefore they have been omitted from this collection. However, what began with the Deutschen Schachbund in Leipzig in 1879 would in the next two years evolve into one of the stronger and more widely recognized of international chess competitions the world would see over the course of the latter 19th century. Berthold Englisch won this event with 9 wins out of his eleven games.


Condition:

Rebound in three quarter leather, lacks frontispiece portrait else a very good copy of a scarce tournament.