The Deutschen Schachbund (DSB, the German Chess Federation) had been founded in Leipzig on July 18, 1877. When the next meeting took place in the Schützenhaus, Leipzig on July 15, 1879, sixty-two clubs had become member of the federation. Hofrat Dr. Rudolf von Gottschall became Chairman and Hermann Zwanzig the General Secretary. When foreign players were invited for Berlin 1881, an important and successful formulae was completed. A master tournament was organised every second year, and Germans could partake in many groups and their talents qualified for master tournaments by a master title in the Hauptturnier.

The Berlin 1881 chess tournament (the 2nd DSB Congress

DSB Congress

The Deutschen Schachbund had been founded in Leipzig on 18 July 1877. When the next meeting took place in the Schützenhaus on 15 July 1879, sixty-two clubs had become member of the chess federation. Hofrat Rudolf von Gottschall became Chairman and Hermann Zwanziger the General Secretary...

,2.DSB-Kongreß), organised by Hermann Zwanzig and Emil Schallopp

Emil Schallopp

Emil Schallopp was a German chess player and author. He became head of the shorthand department of the Reichstag. He wrote many books, including one on the Steinitz–Zukertort 1886 World Championship match...

, took place in Berlin from August 29 to September 17, 1881. The brightest lights among the German participants were Louis Paulsen

Louis Paulsen

Louis Paulsen was a German chess player.In 1860s and 1870s, he was among the top five players in the world. He was a younger brother of Wilfried Paulsen....

, his brother Wilfried Paulsen

Wilfried Paulsen

Wilfried Paulsen was a German chess master, an elder brother of Louis Paulsen.He tied for 3rd-5th at Düsseldorf 1862 ; took 2nd, behind Lange, at Düsseldorf 1863 ; won at Cologne 1867 ; shared 3rd at Aachen...

, and Johannes Minckwitz

Johannes Minckwitz

Johannes Minckwitz was a German chess player and author.His best achievement was 2nd place, behind Adolf Anderssen, at Barmen 1869...

. Great Britain was represented by the participation of Joseph Henry Blackburne

Joseph Henry Blackburne

Joseph Henry Blackburne , nicknamed "The Black Death", dominated British chess during the latter part of the 19th century. He learned the game at the relatively late age of 18 but quickly became a strong player and went on to develop a professional chess career that spanned over 50 years...

, the United States by James Mason

James Mason (chess player)

James Mason was a famous chess player and writer. He was born in Kilkenny in Ireland. His original name is unknown: he was adopted as a child and only took the name James Mason when he and his family moved to the United States in 1861...

, a master from Ireland. Mikhail Chigorin

Mikhail Chigorin

Mikhail Ivanovich Chigorin also was a leading Russian chess player...

 travelled over from Russia, and two great masters from Poland, Szymon Winawer

Szymon Winawer

Szymon Abramowicz Winawer , born in Warsaw, Poland, was a leading chess player who won the German Chess Championship in 1883...

 and Johannes Zukertort

Johannes Zukertort

Johannes Hermann Zukertort was a leading chess master of German-Polish-Jewish origin. He was one of the leading world players for most of the 1870s and 1880s, and lost to Wilhelm Steinitz in the World Chess Championship 1886, which is generally seen as the first World Chess Championship match, he...

, also participated. Karl Pitschel

Karl Pitschel

Karl Pitschel was an Austrian chess master.He took 4th at Krefeld 1871 , took 4th at Leipzig 1871 , took 5th at Altona 1872 , took 12th in the Vienna 1873 chess tournament Karl (Carl) Pitschel (1829 – 29 January 1883) was an Austrian chess master.He took 4th at Krefeld 1871 (the 9th Western DSB...

, from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, arrived and played his games in the first three rounds, but was unable to complete the tournament. The eighteen collected masters constituted a field of strength that had not been seen since the Baden-Baden 1870 chess tournament

Baden-Baden 1870 chess tournament

The 1870 chess tournament in Baden-Baden can be regarded as the first strong tournament. In comparison with London 1851 chess tournament, London 1862 and Paris 1867, three main changes were made: a) first chess clocks used , b) draws counted as half points, c) only top international players were...

. The games were fiercely fought, as few draws were recorded, and a formula from this event would serve as a template for all future chess congresses in Germany before World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

.

Masters Tournament

The final standings and crosstable:

#	Player	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	Total
1	/  Kingdom of England	x	1	1	1	0	½	1	1	½	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	14.0
2	/  Poland	0	x	½	1	½	1	1	1	½	1	0	0	1	1	½	1	1	11.0
3	/  Poland	0	½	x	0	1	0	1	½	1	1	1	0	1	1	½	1	1	10.5
4	/  Russia	0	0	1	x	0	0	0	½	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	10.5
5	/  Republic of Ireland	1	½	0	1	x	½	½	0	½	1	0	1	0	1	1	½	1	9.5
6	/  Independent State of Croatia	½	0	1	1	½	x	½	1	½	0	1	0	½	1	0	1	1	9.5
7	/  Kingdom of Saxony	0	0	0	1	½	½	x	1	½	0	0	1	½	1	1	1	½	8.5
8	/  Moravia	0	0	½	½	1	0	0	x	1	1	½	1	0	½	1	½	1	8.5
9	/  Austria	½	½	0	0	½	½	½	0	x	0	0	1	1	½	1	1	1	8.0
10	/ Lippe Principality of Lippe Lippe was a historical state in Germany. It was located between the Weser River and the southeast part of the Teutoburg forest.-History:...	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	1	x	½	1	½	1	½	½	1	8.0
11	/ Lippe Principality of Lippe Lippe was a historical state in Germany. It was located between the Weser River and the southeast part of the Teutoburg forest.-History:...	0	1	0	0	1	0	1	½	1	½	x	0	½	½	0	½	1	7.5
12	/  Brandenburg	0	1	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	x	1	0	1	0	1	7.0
13	/  Silesia	0	0	0	0	1	½	½	1	0	½	½	0	x	0	1	½	1	6.5
14	/  Germany?	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	½	½	0	½	1	1	x	1	1	1	6.5
15	/  Hungary	0	½	½	0	0	1	0	0	0	½	1	0	0	0	x	1	1	5.5
16	/  Latvia	0	0	0	0	½	0	0	½	0	½	½	1	½	0	0	x	0	3.5
17	/  Germany?	0	0	0	0	0	0	½	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	x	1.5
18	/  Austria	-
0	0
0
–

Hauptturnier A

The Haupturnier A was won by Curt von Bardeleben

Curt von Bardeleben

Curt von Bardeleben was a Count and a German chess master who committed suicide by jumping out of a window in 1924. His life and death were the basis for that of the main character in the novel The Defense by Vladimir Nabokov, which was made into the movie The Luzhin Defence...

, who earlier beat Berthold Lasker

Berthold Lasker

Berthold Lasker was a German chess master.Born Jonathan Berthold Lasker, he was married to the poet and playwright Else Lasker-Schüler and was an elder brother of Emanuel Lasker....

, Siegbert Tarrasch

Siegbert Tarrasch

Siegbert Tarrasch was one of the strongest chess players and most influential chess teachers of the late 19th century and early 20th century....

and Seger, in a preliminary group.

The final results:

1. Bardeleben 2.5/3 (won a preliminary group, scoring 3/3)

2. Specht 2/3 (won a prel. group, scoring 2/3)

3. Kist 1.5/3 (won a prel. group, scoring 2/2)

4. Reif 0/3 (won a prel. group, scoring 2/3)