Wilhelm Steinitz

Biography (1836–1900)

The first world champion in chess history (1886–1894).Born in Prague, began to play in the tournaments of the Vienna Chess Society, became the champion of the Austrian Empire, represented it at the second international tournament in London (1862), after which remained in England. In those years, his style of play was sharp and aggressive, full of sacrifices. Steinitz won many victories in matches and tournaments, the most important success was his victory in the match vs A. Andersen (1866), who was considered the strongest chess player of the world. From that moment, Steinitz claimed the title of the strongest. However, the first official championship of the world was his match with I. Zuckertort, took place in the United States only in 1886. By that time, Steinitz had developed a new theory of the chess game and managed to prove it, defending the title of the strongest in matches with M. Tchigorin (Russia) and I. Gunsberg (England). He lost the title to E. Lasker (Germany), who learned and developed Steinitz chess doctrine

Want chess advice?

# 1 / 4

The player with an advantage must attack, otherwise his advantage will evaporate!

The King must be treated as a strong piece both for attack and defense. This means that so far from the King requiring great protection early in the game a few simple precautions which we shall further explain, will render him so safe that any attempt at attacking his wing will be more dangerous for the opponent than for himself

Among first-class masters the capture of the adverse King is the ultimate but not the first object of the game and by best play on both sides a draw ought to be the legitimate result

Chess genius is not confined to the more or less deep and brilliant finishing strokes after the original balance of power and position has been overthrown, but it also requires the exercise of still more extraordinary powers, though perhaps of a different kind to maintain that balance or respectively to disturb it at the proper time in one's own favor

On Steinitz

He was a thinker worthy of a seat in the halls of a University. A player, as the world believed he was, he was not; his studious temperament made that impossible; and thus he was conquered by a player

Mr. Steinitz stands high as a theoretician and as a writer; he has a powerful pen, and when he chooses can use expressive English… Possessed of a fine intellect, and extremely fond of the game, he is apt to lose sight of all other considerations, people and business alike. Chess is his very life and soul, the one thing for which he lives