Steinitz, Wilhelm

Steinitz, Wilhelm (vĭl`hĕlm shtī`nĭts), 1836–1900, German chess player. In 1866 he won a match from Adolph Anderssen, the leading player after Paul Morphy's retirement, and became world champion, although the title did not officially exist. Until 1892, when he lost to Harry Nelson Pillsbury, he defeated all the leading players. In 1894 he lost the world championship to Emanuel Lasker. The closed position, characterized by fixed pawns on both sides and the establishment of lasting positional values, was Steinitz's forte. He edited (1885–91) the International Chess Magazine in New York City and wrote The Modern Chess Instructor (2 vol., 1889–95).

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Steinitz, Wilhelm 

Born May 14, 1836, in Prague; died Aug. 12, 1900, in New York. First world chess champion (1886–94). Chess theorist.

Steinitz studied at the Polytechnic Institute in Vienna. He lived in London from 1862 and 1883, afterward living in the United States. He was officially proclaimed world champion after winning a match with J. Zukertort (1886). In the 1880’s he developed his theory of positional play. His outstanding successes included victories against A. Anderssen (1866), M. I. Chigorin (1889, 1892), I. Gunsberg (1890–91), and E. S. Shiffers (1896) and his victories in the international tournaments at Vienna in 1873 and 1882 (together with S. Winawer) and New York in 1894. In 1894, Steinitz lost a world championship match to E. Lasker.

REFERENCES

Levidov, M. Iu. Steinits, Lasker. Moscow, 1936.
Neishtadt, Ia. I. Pervyi chempion mira. Moscow, 1971.