The first Silesian Chess Congress was held in 1922. When the German Chess Federation (Deutscher Schachbund) started in 1877, there were not many regional chess federations. On 19 September 1877 the Breslau Chess Association (Breslauer Schachverein) was founded by amongst others Theodor von Scheve. In 1895 Görlitz and 1899 Liegnitz were meetings of mainly Silesian clubs. At the end of 1908 the Breslau clubs Anderssen and Morphy decided to found the East German Chess Federation (Ostdeutscher Schachverband).
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 a great number of congresses till 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.
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 Porath. In April 1935, he tied for 3rd-5th in Tel Aviv (the 2nd Maccabiah Games, Abram Blass won).