Chess master
The title of German Champion, National Champion later awarded the German Chess Federation. Other chess organizations, such as in Russia and the United States, led a similar title. National champions can be at the forefront of a system with graded ranks as Master, Master candidate, etc..
Master of the German Chess Federation
Precursor was the (1877 ) introduced the German Chess Federation championship title after the founding of the DSB ( referred to as German Champion). He brought the winners of the so-called major tournaments, which were held in parallel to the master tournaments. Also, some state associations awarded regional titles such as " Saxon master." After 1933, the United German Chess Federation ended the ceremony live long title.
After the Second World War, the German Chess Federation continued the earlier practice. In 1952, the lifelong title award ( " chess master of the DSB " ) was confirmed on 34 players. Henceforth, each leading eight players in a single German championship should be awarded the title. In 1954 this was corrected so that the ninth place should be enough - it was now but the restriction that a player must have achieved the norm fulfillment of at least 50 percent of the possible points in the then discharged as a round-robin tournament championship. This arrangement lasted until 1965, at least eight place after that was again required; the 50 percent rule remained. From 1970 the title was finally awarded only to the four winners of the National Individual Championship.
Between 1952 and 1976 won for a list of Alfred Diel total of 73 players the champion of the DSB. In accordance with the award criteria mentioned the title was only awarded 17 times total in the 1960s, including Robert Hübner ( 1965). From 1970 to 1976, eleven players were awarded the title of " National Champion ". Then, the practice of awarding national title has been set.
Title in the GDR
The East German Chess Federation also awarded championship title for the performance category including it gave the title of " champion contender ," which corresponded to the Soviet model. There were specific rules established for compliance with standards. For recognition as champion also had one ( the Elo rating comparable ) national figure of merit of 2300 reached (in case of the women of 2100 ).
Situation in other countries
Other chess associations also awarded separate title. Basically, the World Chess Federation sought to dominate the title assignment. The 1978 introduced FIDE Master title, which is located below the title Grandmaster and International Master, entered Germany indirectly to the site of the National Champions title or in other states to compete with continuing national title levels.
In the U.S., the United States Chess Federation the title of National Master ( NM) automatically assigns to players who reach a national Elo rating of 2200. The next higher title Senior Master (SM ) is obtained with a rating of 2400.
Under particularly tough competition national titles were awarded in the Soviet chess. According to Viktor Kortschnois there was in the early 1950s in the Soviet Union a total of about fifty chess master. Master candidates were evaluated by a special qualification commission. This examined whether the skill level of the candidate of satisfied norm corresponded. Players who were misbehaving ( antisocial behavior, etc.), could count on the denial of the league title. So it was with Anatoly Lein, Jacob Yuchtman and Yevgeny Ruban.
Correspondence Chess
Also in correspondence chess awarding national championship is practiced. For the German Correspondence Chess Federation ( BdF ) gives the title of National Correspondence Chess Champion. In 2010, the title system was reformed, which now consists of the three levels of gold, silver and bronze.