Berlin 1881 chess tournament

The Deutscher 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 members of the federation. Hofrat Dr. Rudolf von Gottschall became Chairman and Hermann Zwanzig the General Secretary. When foreign players were invited to Berlin in 1881, an important and successful formula 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 second DSB Congress,2.DSB-Kongreß), organised by Hermann Zwanzig and Emil Schallopp, took place in Berlin from August 29 to September 17, 1881. The brightest lights among the German participants were Louis Paulsen, his brother Wilfried Paulsen, and Johannes Minckwitz. Great Britain was represented by Joseph Henry Blackburne, the United States by James Mason, a master from Ireland. Mikhail Chigorin travelled from Russia, and two great masters from Poland: Szymon Winawer and Johannes Zukertort, also participated. Karl Pitschel, 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. 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.

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	Joseph Henry Blackburne (United Kingdom) / England	x	1	1	1	0	½	1	1	½	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	14
2	Johannes Hermann Zukertort (German Empire) / Poland	0	x	½	1	½	1	1	1	½	1	0	0	1	1	½	1	1	11
3	Szymon Winawer (Russian Empire) / Poland	0	½	x	0	1	0	1	½	1	1	1	0	1	1	½	1	1	10½
4	Mikhail Chigorin (Russian Empire) / Russia	0	0	1	x	0	0	0	½	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	10½
5	James Mason (United States) / Ireland	1	½	0	1	x	½	½	0	½	1	0	1	0	1	1	½	1	9½
6	Alexander Wittek (Austria-Hungary) / Croatia	½	0	1	1	½	x	½	1	½	0	1	0	½	1	0	1	1	9½
7	Johannes Minckwitz (German Empire) / Saxony	0	0	0	1	½	½	x	1	½	0	0	1	½	1	1	1	½	8½
8	Jacques Schwarz (Austria-Hungary) / Moravia	0	0	½	½	1	0	0	x	1	1	½	1	0	½	1	½	1	8½
9	Johann Nepomuk Berger (Austria-Hungary) / Austria	½	½	0	0	½	½	½	0	x	0	0	1	1	½	1	1	1	8
10	Louis Paulsen (German Empire) / Lippe	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	1	x	½	1	½	1	½	½	1	8
11	Wilfried Paulsen (German Empire) / Lippe	0	1	0	0	1	0	1	½	1	½	x	0	½	½	0	½	1	7½
12	Emil Schallopp (German Empire) / Brandenburg	0	1	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	x	1	0	1	0	1	7
13	Fritz Riemann (German Empire) / Silesia	0	0	0	0	1	½	½	1	0	½	½	0	x	0	1	½	1	6½
14	Carl Wemmers (German Empire) / Germany?	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	½	½	0	½	1	1	x	1	1	1	6½
15	Josef Noa (Austria-Hungary) / Hungary	0	½	½	0	0	1	0	0	0	½	1	0	0	0	x	1	1	5½
16	Carl Friedrich Schmid (Russian Empire) / Latvia	0	0	0	0	½	0	0	½	0	½	½	1	½	0	0	x	0	3½
17	H. von Schuetz (German Empire) / Germany?	0	0	0	0	0	0	½	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	x	1½
18	Karl Pitschel (Austria-Hungary) / Austria	-	-	0	0	-	-	-	-	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Hauptturnier A

The Haupturnier A was won by Curt von Bardeleben, who earlier beat Berthold Lasker, Siegbert Tarrasch and Seger, in a preliminary group.

The final results:

1. Bardeleben 2½/3 (won a preliminary group, scoring 3/3)

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

3. Kist 1½/3 (won a prel. group, scoring 2/2)

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