The German Chess Federation (DSB) is facing renewed internal conflict as a request for an early extraordinary congress was denied. President Ingrid Lauterbach will remain in office until August 2026, prompting regional associations to consider legal action. This comes amid ongoing tensions over leadership and finances.
The Deutscher Schachbund (DSB), one of the world's largest chess federations with over 97,000 members, has been embroiled in internal disputes for years, despite successes on the international stage. Grandmaster Vincent Keymer, aged 21, has risen to world number four, becoming the second highest-ranked European player after Norway's Magnus Carlsen. In September, Grandmaster Matthias Bluebaum earned a spot in the 2026 FIDE Candidates tournament with a second-place finish at the Grand Swiss. Germany also hosted the inaugural Freestyle Chess World Championship at Weissenhaus on its northern coast.
At the heart of the current discord is DSB president Woman International Master Ingrid Lauterbach, who was elected in 2023 as the first woman to lead the 146-year-old organization. She was re-elected in June 2025 by a narrow margin of 116 to 103 votes, amid criticism of her leadership style and communication with regional bodies. Tensions rose later that year following the dismissal of long-time managing director Anja Gering and disagreements within the presidium.
By autumn, five regional associations—Baden, Berlin, Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein, and the German Correspondence Chess Federation—called for a no-confidence vote and an extraordinary congress to elect a new leadership. A compromise was reached whereby Lauterbach agreed to step down at a special congress in August 2026.
The situation worsened in February 2026 when finance vice-president Alexander von Gleich resigned, citing disputes over financial planning and internal communication. The rebel associations then requested converting the scheduled May 16 committee meeting in Frankfurt into a full congress, arguing it would avoid costly duplicate events.
Lauterbach consulted legal adviser Thomas Strobl, who deemed the request inadmissible under the statutes. Strobl noted that federations can demand a congress but not dictate the date, which is the president's prerogative, and that no such demand is valid if another congress is planned within six months. Thus, the May 16 event remains a regular session, and the extraordinary congress is set for August 8, 2026.
The associations dispute this interpretation, claiming they did not specify a date and that the August event was merely a political declaration. They have indicated plans to appeal to the federation's arbitration court, prolonging the conflict.
