National champion (chess)

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The German Chess Federation awarded the title of German Master , later National Master . Other chess associations, such as B. in Russia and the USA, introduced similar championship titles . National champions can be at the top of a system with graduated ranks such as master, master candidate, etc.

Master of the German Chess Federation

The forerunner was the championship title of the German Chess Federation (also known as German master ), which was introduced after the founding of the DSB (1877 ). It was awarded to the winners of the so-called main tournaments, which took place parallel to the master tournaments. Some state associations also awarded regional titles such as B. Saxon master . After 1933, the Greater German Chess Federation ended the award of lifelong titles.

After the Second World War, the German Chess Federation continued the earlier practice. In 1952 the lifelong title ( chess master of the DSB ) was confirmed to 34 players. From now on, the eight leading players in a German individual championship should be awarded the title. As early as 1954, this was corrected to the effect that ninth place should also be sufficient - but the restriction now applied was that a player had to have scored at least 50 percent of the possible points in the championship, which was held as a round-robin tournament at the time, to meet the standard . This rule was valid until 1965, after which at least eighth place was required again; the 50 percent rule remained. From 1970 onwards, the title was only awarded to the top four in the national individual championship.

Between 1952 and 1976 a total of 73 players won the championship title of the DSB after a line-up by Alfred Diel . According to the award criteria mentioned, the title was awarded only 17 times in the 1960s, including to Robert Huebner (1965). From 1970 to 1976, eleven players were then awarded the title of National Champion . Subsequently, the practice of awarding national titles was discontinued.

Championship title in the GDR

The GDR chess federation also awarded championship titles, for the performance category below there was the title candidate for mastery , which corresponded to the Soviet model. Specific rules for compliance with standards were laid down. To be recognized as a master, a national score of 2300 ( comparable to the Elo number ) had to be achieved (2100 for women).

Situation in other countries

Other chess federations also awarded independent championship titles. In principle, the World Chess Federation strived to dominate the awarding of titles. The FIDE championship , which was introduced in 1978 and is located below the titles of Grand Master and International Master , took the place of the national championship in Germany or competed with continued national titles in other countries.

In the USA, the United States Chess Federation automatically awards the title National Master (NM) to players who achieve a national rating of 2200. The next higher title Senior Master (SM) is awarded with a rating of 2400.

National championship titles in Soviet chess were awarded under particularly tough competition. According to Viktor Korchnois , there were around fifty chess masters in the Soviet Union in the early 1950s. Candidates for master craftsmen were assessed by a special qualification committee. This checked whether the skill level of the candidate corresponded to the fulfilled standard. Players who received negative attention (anti-social behavior, etc.) could expect the championship title to be withdrawn. This is what happened to Anatoli Lein , Jacob Yuchtman and Jewgeni Ruban.

Correspondence chess

National championships are also awarded in correspondence chess . The German Correspondence Chess Federation (BdF) awards the title of National Correspondence Chess Master . In 2010 the title system was reformed, which now consists of the three levels of gold , silver and bronze .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Hans Rasquin: "German Chess Masters" , website of the DSB (chronicle)
  2. ^ Alfred Brinckmann , Ludwig Rellstab : Turniertaschenbuch. 4th edition. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin, New York 1977, ISBN 3-11-007163-0 , p. 88.
  3. ^ Ernst Bönsch : Kleines Lexikon Schach , Sportverlag, Berlin 1989 (2nd edition), p. 60. ISBN 3-328-00360-6
  4. ↑ USCF Glossary , see entries "Master" and "Rating"
  5. ^ Viktor Kortschnoi: My life for chess , Olms-Verlag, Zurich 2004, p. 24. ISBN 978-3-283-00409-5
  6. ↑ "National Correspondence Chess Masters" ( Memento of the original from February 26, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , BdF awards until 2009 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.bdf-fernschachbund.de
  7. ↑ For the detailed conditions see the corresponding descriptions of the German Correspondence Chess Federation

literature

  • Alfred Diel: Chess in Germany. Festival book on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Deutscher Schachbund e. V. 1877-1977. Rau, Düsseldorf 1977, p. 182 f. (with list of titleholders up to 1976) ISBN 3-7919-0167-2 .