The first Silesian Chess Congress was held in 1922. On 19 September 1877 the Breslau Chess Association (Breslauer Schachverein) was founded by Theodor von Scheve. In 1895 Görlitz and 1899 Liegnitz were meetings of mainly Silesian clubs.
After the World War I Germany had to cede a part of the Ostprovinzen, mainly Posen (Poznań). In 1922 the new Silesian Chess Federation (Schlesischer Schachverband) was founded and held congresses until 1939. Members of this federation (Oberschlesischer Schachverband, Groß-Breslauer Schachverband) and of the German Chess Federation in Czechoslovakia (Deutscher Schachverband in der Tschechoslowakei) played in each other's championships.[1] [2]
When the Nazis came to power in 1933, Heinz Josef Foerder, being a Jew, lost his job, and moved to Riga, Latvia. In 1934 he emigrated to British Mandate of Palestine where he had changed his name to Yosef Porat.[3] In April 1935, he tied for 3rd-5th in Tel Aviv (the 2nd Maccabiah Games, Abram Blass won).[4]
| Year | City | Winner | Comment | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1922 | Thelen won ahead of Kramer | |||
| 2 | 1923 | Kramer won a play-off against Ertelt | |||
| 3 | 1924 | Bergmann won a play-off against Kramer | |||
| 4 | 1925 | played alongside the 24th DSB Congress | |||
| 5 | 1926 | Friedrich Sämisch (off contest) won | |||
| 6 | 1927 | Schmitt got extra-points more than Foerder | |||
| 7 | 1928 | ||||
| 8 | 1929 | Bergmann from Glogau | |||
| 9 | 1930 | Foerder won ahead of Rudolf Pitschak | |||
| 10 | 1931 | ||||
| 11 | 1932 | ||||
| 12 | 1933 | Schmitt won ahead of Carl Ahues | |||
| 13 | 1934 | ||||
| 14 | 1937 | ||||
| 15 | 1938 | Prof. Duhm from Breslau | |||
| 16 | 1939 | Weinitschke won a play-off against Heuaecker |