The German Chess Federation (DSB) faces internal conflict after its leadership rejected a request from five regional associations to hold an extraordinary congress in May. The dispute centers on disagreements over leadership style, communication, and financial decisions within Germany’s largest chess federation.

WIM Ingrid Lauterbach, elected in 2023 as the DSB president, previously agreed to step down following a compromise reached in 2025. Tensions escalated in February 2026 when finance vice-president Alexander von Gleich resigned over internal disagreements about financial planning and communication.

Following this, five associations — Baden, Berlin, Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein, and the German Correspondence Chess Federation — had requested to convert the May 16 regular committee meeting into an extraordinary congress to expedite leadership elections.

DSB legal adviser Thomas Strobl rejected the request, citing legal provisions that allow such demands only if a congress is not scheduled for six months. Following this, five regional associations announced their plans to refer the dispute to the federal arbitration court.

The Deutscher Schachbund (DSB), or German Chess Federation, was founded on July 18, 1877, in Leipzig. The DSB serves as the official governing body for chess in Germany, representing over 90,000 members in roughly 2,300 clubs. German WIM Ingrid Lauterbach was first elected as President on May 21, 2023, in Berlin, becoming the first woman to lead the DSB in its 146-year history.

Credit: Michal Walusza / FIDE