Born in a Jewish ghetto to a large family in Prague on May 17, 1836, Wilhelm Steinitz moved to Vienna in 1858, hoping to earn a living as a journalist. However, being quite a strong chess player, he tried his luck at the championship of Vienna (1861) and won.

Now fully infected by the chess bug, Steinitz put some work into the game and, in 1862, represented Austria in a powerful international tournament in London. He came in an honorable 6th place and demonstrated that he was a powerful player who had to be taken seriously. Enthused by this result, he immediately challenged Dubois, the 5th place finisher, to a match. He enjoyed another success, winning five games, losing three, and drawing one.

Steinitz, realizing that his true potential had not yet been reached, became a chess professional and embraced London as his new home. A decisive (7 wins, 1 loss, 2 draws) 1863 match victory over Blackburne (an English grandmaster and “top ten player” for many decades) confirmed his status as one of the world’s elite. Match victories over Deacon, Mongredien, Green, and Robey followed.

In 1866 Steinitz faced the ultimate challenge: a match against German legend and world number one, Adolf Anderssen. Wilhelm won this match (8 wins, 6 losses) and, in many people’s minds, became the unofficial champion of the world. That same year, he followed this up by winning a match against another top player, Henry Bird (7 wins, 5 losses, 5 draws). A crushing match victory over Zukertort in 1872 (7 wins, 1 loss, and 4 draws), and clear first at the London International (also in 1872) cemented his claim for world chess domination.

Up to this point Steinitz had played in the normal attacking style of that age – he was even known as “The Austrian Morphy” by some. Then something odd occurred: he completely changed his style, morphing from tactical monster to the first great positional player. Suddenly Steinitz touted the creation of long-term weaknesses in the pawn structure, wrote about the battle between Bishops and Knights, was quick to take any material that was offered, became a believer in the power of defense, and even showed an inclination to leave his King in the center so it would be ready for the endgame.

This “put the King to work” mentality is best shown by these two examples: 1.e5 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.f4 exf4 4.d4 Qh4+ 5.Ke2, a line known as the “Steinitz Gambit.”

THE KING IS A FIGHTING PIECE!

In the London 1883 tournament book, he wrote: “…the main object of this Gambit is to make the King available for both wings in the ending. There is hardly any real danger for White in the present position, and he ought to obtain some advantage in consequence of his King being in the center, if he succeeds in exchanging Queens…”

Not surprisingly, this “Steinitz Variation” has never enjoyed any kind of popularity. However, the following line against the Scotch Opening bore his stamp of approval and is still topical today: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Qh4 5.Nb5 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Qxe4+ 7.Be2 Kd8.

THE KING TAKES THE DEFENSE OF c7 INTO ITS OWN HANDS!

Though his bull-headed belief in defense and his slightly off-kilter experiments with keeping his King in the center sometimes led to a painful loss here and there, overall one could not doubt the wisdom and power of his positional ideas. His first place finish at a tournament filled with superstars in Vienna in 1873 showcased the domination of his newfound strategies when he won his last sixteen games in a row, which included 2-0 results over Paulsen, Anderssen, and Blackburne.

Perhaps Steinitz felt that there were no new vistas to conquer, since he followed his stunning tournament result in Vienna with a self-imposed nine-year hiatus from chess (the only exception was a 7-0 match rout of Blackburne in 1876). Then, in 1882, he returned with a bang: match wins over Martinez, Sellman, Mackenzie, and Golmayo, plus several tournament conquests (his one minor setback was 2nd place in the great London tournament of 1883, behind Zuckertort), left the opposition throwing up their hands in frustration at the seemingly unbeatable obstacle that Steinitz now presented.

In 1883 Steinitz — the clear ruler of world chess — immigrated to the United States (he eventually became a U.S. citizen). However, the great Wilhelm — with his overbearing personality, his seemingly endless domination over other chess pros, and his acid pen — was not liked by most other top players. As a result, some dissenting voices began to proclaim Zuckertort as the main man (it seems that Steinitz’s devastating match victory over Zuckertort in 1872 had been forgotten). This led to the organization of a match between the two in 1886, with the proviso that the winner would be declared the first official World Chess Champion.

There was no doubt that Johannes Zukertort was a crowd favorite: possessing an enormous chess talent, he spoke nine languages, had acquired a doctorate of medicine at Breslau University, was a decorated soldier (he was once left for dead on a battlefield!), edited a political paper, was a music critic, and (due to an eidetic memory) remembered every game he ever played!

Could the 49-year-old Steinitz stand up to this superman? The answer was a resounding yes. Disposing of “Super-Zucker” by scoring ten wins to five losses and five draws, the unstoppable force that was Steinitz rolled on. Now the official World Champion, he defended his title against Chigorin in 1889 (10 wins, 6 losses, 1 draw), Gunsberg in 1890 (6 wins, 4 losses, 9 draws), and Chigorin again in 1892 (10 wins, 8 losses, 5 draws).

James Cunningham, writing for the British Chess Magazine in 1892, said of Steinitz, “He is a man of great physical vigor, and possess a well-preserved constitution. Everything about him denoted power rather than grace, strength rather than beauty. His stature was short but form massive, his chest broad, his bearing sturdy. His features were rugged in outline, and his face the face of a man of action rather than a man of thought…with bright tawny locks, round face, a crushed-up nose…broad forehead, deep-set eyes, and a rough shaggy beard of the bright tawny hue, the whole balanced squarely on a thick neck, that again on a short massive body.”

At this point Steinitz’s enemies gave up, sure that this chess god, however aged, was never going to be dethroned. Of course, time can whittle away the largest mountain, so Wilhelm’s ultimate fall was assured. Steinitz’s final, painful days will be explored in our next article on Emanuel Lasker. For the moment, though, let’s concentrate on a Steinitz game and see why he’s often been called, “The Father of Modern Chess.”

Anderssen - Steinitz
Vienna, 1873

BLACK TO MOVE

White has tried to keep the game closed in an effort to limit the activity of Black’s two Bishops. However, the white Knights don’t have any advanced support points, so this minor piece battle clearly isn’t going White’s way. Attention must also be given to Black’s doubled c-pawns, which have the ability to increase his control over the key d5- and d4-squares. These observations lead us to the conclusion that Black’s game is preferable.

10...c5!

Gaining space and stopping White from opening lines for his passive Rooks with an eventual d3-d4 advance.

11.Qd2

White wants to get rid of Black’s Bishop pair by Bh6. Usually when your opponent has two Bishops, it’s a good idea to exchange one off.

11...h6

Stopping White’s plans. Notice how patient Steinitz was, and how he loved to restrict the activity of his opponent’s pieces.

12.g4

True to his attacking nature, Anderssen lashes out on the kingside. However, he failed to take the following maneuver into account.

12...Ng8!

BRINGING THE KNIGHT BACK TO ITS ORIGINAL SQUARE

I love this move! Since the center is, at present, closed, Black can afford to take the time to improve the position of his Knight. The point of this move is as follows: the f6-Knight wasn’t doing much on that square, but would look very nice on the advanced d4-post — hence the maneuver ...Nf6-g8-e7-c6-d4.

13.0–0–0

White still entertains dreams of a kingside attack but his opponent quickly shows that these are nothing more than pie in the sky.

13...Ne7

Continuing to reroute the horse to d4.

14.Ne2

Chasing his kingside fantasies. He could have opened up lines faster by 14.Ng1 followed by Nge2 and f2-f4, but that would allow Black to activate his dormant g7-Bishop by ...exf4 when it would suddenly be aiming right at the White King!

14...Nc6

Like White, Black remains true to his plan. The Knight will be very happy on d4.

15.Qc3

This doesn’t make a good impression, but 15.c3 weakens the queenside pawn structure and allows Black to break it down by ...a6-a5-a4.

15...Nd4

ALL THE WAY FROM g8!

At last! It was a long journey, but it was well worth it.

16.Nfg1

Retreating to safety. Naturally, 16.Nfxd4?? cxd4 17.Qc6+ Bd7 loses for White.

16...0–0

Now that the heat is off the c1–h6 diagonal, Black is able to safely castle. Let’s quote Steinitz himself: “Black has altogether neglected the principle of rapid development which was one of the maxims of the old school, and he has deferred castling until he has completed his maneuvers to obtain possession of the adverse center with his Knight. Obviously, White cannot break in at any point, while Black can form an attack in different directions after due preparation, either by the ultimate advance of the a- or d-pawn or the f-pawn.”

17.Ng3

White has been outplayed and is finding it difficult to obtain any activity. He avoids 17.f4?? due to 17...Nxe2+ 18.Nxe2 exf4 winning a piece.

17...Be6

Black calmly places his pieces on their best squares before starting any decisive action on the queenside.

18.N1e2

White’s position makes a rather pathetic impression.

18...Qd7

Black’s Queen is now ready to swing into queenside action.

19.Bxd4

The Knight, which Black lovingly maneuvered to d4, has tormented White long enough. White kills it, but finds that his suffering has only begun.

19...cxd4

Recapturing his piece and preparing to throw a cascade of pawns at the White King. He avoided 19...exd4 since (after the White Queen ran to safety) that would give the White Knights access to f4, and also allow a quick f2-f4-f5 advance.

20.Qb2

The Queen steps away from the cold embrace of the d4-pawn.

20...a5

This pawn is ready to move to a4 where it will open roads for the Rooks into the queenside.

21.Kd2?

Panic! Anderssen decides that his King has to run for its life! However, a better chance would have been 21.f4.

21...d5

OKAY, I’LL OPEN THE CENTER TOO

Since the White King is now in the center, it makes sense to open central files. I should add that any opening of the position should ultimately favor Black’s Bishops — yet another miserable thought that must have been going through Anderssen’s head!

22.f3

White is trying to keep things contained and blocked.

22...Qe7

Preparing to leap into b4 with the Queen.

23.Rdf1

This frees the d1-square for the White King and also anticipates ...f7-f5 when Black would try to rip open the f-file and surround the enemy monarch.

23...Qb4+

The noose tightens.

24.Kd1

Still trying to prevent the opening of any files. Worse was 24.c3 dxc3+ 25.Qxc3 Qa3.

24...a4

Black now uses his queenside pawns to tear down White’s queenside walls.

25.Rh2

Sad. White is reduced to just holding on for dear life.

25...c5

Getting ready to advance to c4.

26.Nc1

It’s hard to recognize the guy playing White as one of history’s greatest masters of attack! This is a clear case of one player’s strategy choking the life out of the other’s tactical ability.

26...c4

A TIDAL WAVE OF PAWNS

A wall of pawns smashes into White’s position.

Steinitz commented: “By this move Black effects his purpose of shutting up the adverse Queen, and all his pawns are well defended, or not approachable. It will be easily seen that White cannot exchange pawns without subjecting himself to a still stronger attack on the queenside at once.”

27.a3

This is the only way to keep the b-file closed.

27...Qe7

Ending the threat to the Queen and redeploying it so that it can enter the kingside via g5 or h4.

28.b4

The immediate opening of the queenside has been stopped, but White’s Queen now gets locked out of the game.

28...c3

Black is building up an enormous space advantage. The c-pawn is also a major force in the coming attack.

29.Qa1

The once mighty White Queen, now cowering on a1, has been shorn of all her power.

29...Qg5

White can hardly move a muscle. Bringing either Knight to e2 allows ...Qd2 mate, while Qa2 walks into ...dxe4 with a discovered attack on White’s Queen. In the meantime, Black is ready to open new avenues of attack by ...f7-f5.

30.Rff2

White would be forgiven if he resigned, but he decides to just hang on and see how his opponent will end things.

30...f5

A NEW CLASH OF PAWNS

Black is trying to open up files so his Rooks can join in the attack. Evidently, Black wants to control the whole board!

Let’s enjoy one last Steinitz quote: “Having accomplished his object of practically getting rid of the adverse Queen, Black concentrates his attack on the other wing, and by steady pressure he breaks through, with some difficulty, which shows that the defensive disposition of White’s forces remained strong, though they are deprived of the assistance of the Queen.”

31.exf5

White can’t prevent the opening of files, but at least he can prepare to exchange off one of Black’s bothersome Bishops.

31...gxf5

Just taking his pawn back and waiting to see how White intends to stay alive.

32.h4

Chasing the Black Queen off the dangerous h6-c1 diagonal.

32...Qg6

Coming in to e3 or f4 makes the Queen vulnerable to attacks by the White Knights (32...Qf4 33.Nh5 or 32...Qe3 33.Nf1).

33.Nxf5

Getting rid of the light-squared Bishop. However, the raggedy position of White’s kingside makes things hopeless for the first player.

33...Bxf5

Finally forcing open new lines of attack.

34.gxf5

White has no choice — he has to recapture his piece.

34...Rxf5

AN OPEN g-FILE AND WEAK PAWNS ON f3 AND h4

White’s problems go beyond his dead Queen and miserable King: the pawns on f3 and h4 are both long-term targets that Black will enjoy torturing. This is a secret of top players: they sow the seeds of your endgame doom even as they try to mangle you in the middlegame.

35.Ne2

If White is going to hold on for a while, this Knight must take part in the battle.

35...Rbf8

Bringing the Rook to where the action is: on the kingside. Remember that chess is a team game — in other words, use ALL your men!

36.Qa2

A small bother which forces Black to defend the d-pawn.

36...Qf7

Simply defending d5. Why enter any kind of complications when your opponent is helpless? Instead, just guard your weak points and prepare to enjoy the harvest.

37.Rh3

Holding onto f3.

37...Kh7

A very calm, patient move. Black gets his King off the g-file and off the dangerous a2-g8 diagonal.

38.Ng1

Sticking to his “hold everything and pray” strategy.

38...Bf6

TARGETING h4 FOR ASSASSINATION

Having taken care of his slightly loose King and vulnerable d-pawn, Black goes back on the offensive. First target: the white bit on h4.

39.Ke2

White goes back and forth, waiting for the killer blow that he knows will eventually come.

39...Rg8

Having created open files on the kingside, Black now makes use of them. The immediate threat is the obvious ...Rxg1.

40.Kf1

Defending g1.

40...Be7

Not strictly necessary, but Black is enjoying his domination of the position. The Bishop retreat brings the Black Queen into contact with its f5-Rook and thus increases the pressure down the f-file.

41.Ne2

This hastens the end (41.Rg2 would have held on a bit longer), but one suspects that White was actually rooting for his opponent to finish things quickly!

41...Rh5

Piling up on h4 and ensuring the win of material. As good as this is, even stronger was 41...Bxh4! when 42.Rxh4 Rxf3 43.Rhh2 (43.Rxf3 Qxf3+ 44.Ke1 Rg2 mates quickly) 43...Rf8 ends matters.

42.f4

Total desperation.

42...Bxh4

I FEEL WHITE’S PAIN

The end is finally in sight.

43.Rff3

On 43.Rfh2 Black can finish nicely by 43...exf4! (43...Rg4 is also more than adequate) 44.Rxh4 f3! 45.Nxd4 Rxh4 46.Rxh4 Qg6 when the threats down the g-file ensure a mating attack.

43...e4!

Ending the game in a powerful manner.

44.dxe4

What else?

44...Qg6

DEATH DOWN THE g-FILE

Creating an obvious but somewhat annoying threat of ...Qg2 mate. Of course, 44...dxe4?? 45.Qxf7+ was a tad worse.

45.Ng3

Or 45.Rh2 Qxe4 when White must resign.

45...Bxg3, 0-1. White gave up since 46.Rfxg3 Qxe4 is Armageddon.

Steinitz completely outclassed his legendary opponent by making use of the following things:

1) Patience.
2) Fighting for key central squares.
3) Making spatial gains.
4) Being aware of the battle of the minor pieces.
5) Prolonged maneuvers.
6) Pawn breaks on both wings as a means of opening files for the Rooks.
7) The creation of long-term structural weaknesses.

Nowadays these ideas are commonplace in high-class chess. However, at that time the consistent use of these strategic concepts was unheard of. Steinitz’s articles (where he discussed these things in detail) and his praxis (which demonstrated their strength), created a whole new breed of chess player. He was indeed the Father of Modern Chess.