At the 2013 European Championships in Zagreb Germany knocked off Hungary and Great Britain, then prevailed over Poland in the final to give Bachmann his first major gold medal. At the World Championships in Budapest he reached the quarter-finals for the first time in his career. He met the USA's Miles Chamley-Watson and took a 10–3 lead, but the American managed to come back. Bachmann lost 14–15 on a controversial red card and Chamley-Watson eventually won the gold medal. The following year, at the Kazan World Championships, Bachmann met Chamley-Watson again, this time in the table of 32. He acquired a 12–5 lead. On 14–7 for Bachmann Chamley-Watson was shown a red card for turning his back during the bout, allowing the German to win 15–7. Bachmann reached again the quarter-finals, where he was stopped by Russia's Timur Safin.