Deutsche Schachzeitung (English: "German Chess Magazine") was the first German chess magazine. Founded in 1846 by Ludwig Bledow under the title Schachzeitung der Berliner Schachgesellschaft and appearing monthly, it took the name Deutsche Schachzeitung in 1872. (Another magazine used the title Deutsche Schachzeitung from 1846 to 1848.)[1]
When it ceased publication in December 1988, it was the oldest existing magazine globally, having been published regularly since its founding in 1846 except for a five-year break (1945–1949) following World War II.[2][3]
Since January 1989, the Deutsche Schachzeitung was merged with the Deutsche Schachblätter – Schach-Report, edited in Hollfeld. The resulting magazine appeared with the names of both former magazines on its cover until December 1996. Since January 1997, this magazine merged again with the Berlin magazine Schach. The resulting magazine kept the names Schach and Schach-Report on its cover for one year, but the name Deutsche Schachzeitung had disappeared from the cover. Since 1998, the magazine appears under the simple title Schach. However, the table of contents is still headed by the names Deutsche Schachzeitung, Deutsche Schachblätter, and Schach-Report.
The Deutsche Schachzeitung was in its prime in the first two decades of the 20th century.[2]