Wilhelm Steinitz

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Lore & Background

Steinitz was born on May 14, 1836, in the Jewish ghetto of Prague, the youngest of tailor Josef-Salomon Steinitz's thirteen sons by his first wife. He learned to play chess at age 12. After studying Talmud in his youth, he left Prague in 1857 to study mathematics at the Vienna Polytechnic, spending two years at the university. He improved rapidly in chess during the late 1850s, progressing from third place in the 1859 Vienna City championship to first in 1861 with a score of 30/31, earning the nickname 'the Austrian Morphy.' He was sent to represent Austria in the London 1862 chess tournament, placed sixth, and won the brilliancy prize for his win over Augustus Mongredien. He then challenged and beat Serafino Dubois (five wins, one draw, three losses), turned professional, and settled in London. In 1862–63 he scored a crushing win in a match with Joseph Henry Blackburne, then beat Frederick Deacon, Augustus Mongredien (1863), and Valentine Green (1864). In 1866 he defeated Adolf Anderssen, regarded as the world's strongest active player, with eight wins and six losses (no draws); after 12 games the scores were level at 6–6, then Steinitz won the last two games. As a result, Steinitz was generally regarded as the world's best player. He beat Henry Bird in 1866 (seven wins, five losses, five draws) and comfortably beat Johannes Zukertort in 1872 (seven wins, four draws, one loss). At the Vienna 1873 chess tournament, Steinitz unveiled a new positional style of play, tying for first place with Blackburne and winning the play-off. He made a shaky start but won his last 14 games in the main tournament plus the two play-off games, starting a 25-game winning streak in serious competition. Between 1873 and 1882 Steinitz played no tournaments and only one match (a 7–0 win against Blackburne in 1876), instead concentrating on chess journalism for The Field. His debates with Zukertort and Leopold Hoffer in The Chess Monthly escalated into the 'Ink War,' which sharpened in 1881 when Steinitz mercilessly criticized Hoffer's annotations of games from the 1881 Berlin Congress. Steinitz lost his world title to Emanuel Lasker in 1894 and lost a rematch in 1896–97.

Reader's Guide

Steinitz's significance lies in his transformation of chess from the all-out attacking 'Romantic' style to a positional style of play. He unveiled this new approach at the Vienna 1873 chess tournament and demonstrated it was superior, though some branded it 'cowardly.' Many of Steinitz's games showed it could also set up attacks as ferocious as those of the old school. He defended his ideas vigorously in writing, and the debate became known as the 'Ink War.' By the early 1890s, his approach was widely accepted, and the next generation of top players, including his successor Emanuel Lasker, acknowledged their debt to him. Statistical rating systems give Steinitz a low ranking among world champions due to long breaks from play, but one analysis shows he was one of the most dominant players ever, unbeaten in match play for 32 years (1862–1894). From 1888 to 1889 he co-operated with the American Chess Congress in a project to define rules governing the conduct of future world championships. Traditional accounts depict him as ill-tempered and aggressive, but more recent research shows he had long and friendly relationships with some players and chess organizations. He was unskilled at managing money and lived in poverty all his life.

Did You Know?

• Steinitz was unbeaten in match play for 32 years, from 1862 to 1894.
• He learned to play chess at age 12 and studied Talmud in his youth before studying mathematics at the Vienna Polytechnic.
• Steinitz's win over Adolf Anderssen in 1866 had a prize of £100 to the winner and £20 to the loser, equivalent to about £57,500 in 2007's money.
• At the Vienna 1873 chess tournament, Steinitz started a 25-game winning streak in serious competition after unveiling his new positional style.
• From 1888 to 1889 he co-operated with the American Chess Congress to define rules for future world championships.