https://p.dw.com/p/5Hbz1
What you need to know
- German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul is finishing his Africa trip in South Africa
- Chess is booming in Germany, as players gather for the German Chess Summit in Dresden
Here is a round-up of the top headlines from and about Germany on Thursday, July 23, 2026.
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Skip next section Is chess booming in Germany?July 23, 2026
Is chess booming in Germany?
Chess players from around Germany gathered in Dresden this week for the annual Chess Summit, as the sport is enjoying unprecedented popularity in Germany.
“Our membership numbers are growing at an excellent rate. We are on the verge of surpassing the 100,000 mark,” Paul Meyer-Dunker, President of Germany’s National Chess Association, told the dpa news agency in Dresden.
Many of the 2300 clubs across Germany are feeling the surge. According to Meyer-Dunker, some clubs in cities such as Berlin are no longer accepting new members because of the overwhelming demand.
Despite the strong growth, Meyer-Dunker said there is still room for improvement when it comes to female participation. Around 90% of members of the German Chess Federation are male.
The highest proportion of girls is found among the youngest age group — children under eight years old — where they account for roughly one-third of participants. However, those figures drop sharply among older age groups.
Nonetheless, Meyer-Dunker believes Germany’s national teams are stronger than they have been for a long time.
“We have a national team in which every player is ranked in the world’s top 100. This is a team that has a chance to compete for a medal at the Chess Olympiad in Uzbekistan this September,” he said.
He pointed to Vincent Keymer, as well as Matthias Blübaum, a two-time European champion, as players who belongs among the world’s elite.
On the women’s side as well, Germany has top-level players such as Elisabeth Pähtzand Dinara Wagner. In the European Team Championships in 2025, the German women’s team won a medal — bronze — for the first time.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Hbzz
Skip next section FM Wadephul off to South Africa, in final leg of Africa visitJuly 23, 2026
FM Wadephul off to South Africa, in final leg of Africa visit
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul’sAfrica trip is reaching its grand conclusion in Johannesburg, South Africa today.
South Africa is not only the largest economy in sub-Saharan Africa’s largest economy, but by far Germany’s most important economic partner on the continent.
More than 600 German companies operate in the country, with the trade volume between the two countries reaching €20 billion ($22,9 billion) in 2025.
In Johannesburg, Wadephul is set to meet President Cyril Ramaphosa and Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola.
Wadephul is also scheduled to visit the plant of Siemens Energy South Africa, which produces turbines and generators for power plants and equips solar and wind farms.
German direct investment in South Africa reached €7.99 billion ($9.1 billion) in 2023, while South African investment in Germany has reached €2.6 billion, according to data from Germany’s Federal Foreign Office.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Hbzg
Skip next section Welcome to our coverageJuly 23, 2026
Welcome to our coverage
Germany is hurtling towards its annual Sommerloch — literally the “summer hole” that time of year when parliament is in recess and many citizens are off enjoying vacation. But that doesn’t mean the news stops.
Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul is wrapping up his four-day Africa tour in South Africa, after previous stops in Nigeria and Mauritania. Talks with South African political leaders are expected to focus on economic partnerships.
Meanwhile, in more off-beat news, chess is experiencing a surge in Germany. Players — from elite levels to amateur — are currently gathered in Dresden for the annual Chess Summit.
Stay tuned for more news and analysis!
https://p.dw.com/p/5HbzY
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