William Steinitz
Notable Games

William Steinitz

18 celebrated games · 445 in the full archive
Player Index ◈ Biography 445 CURATED GAMES

Notable Games

  • 1862.06 Dubois, Serafino vsSteinitz, William 0-1 Italian Game: Giuoco Piano 37 moves British CA-05 Casual Games London 1862 — from Steinitz's international debut, a fierce Black win over the Italian master Serafino Dubois, his doubled rooks smashing through on the h-file (24…Rh1+, 25…R8h2+).
  • 1863.05 Steinitz, William vsMongredien, Augustus 1-0 Modern Defense 22 moves Match Steinitz-Mongredien +7-0=0 London 1863 — an early attacking gem: against the fianchetto defence Steinitz sacrifices twice on h7 (15.Nxh7, 16.Rxh7) and hunts the king to its doom (21.Rh8+, 22.Qxf7).
  • 1866.08.08 Anderssen, Adolf vsSteinitz, William 0-1 Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Anti-Berlin Variation, Anderssen Variation 43 moves Match Steinitz-Anderssen +8-6=0 The 13th game of the 1866 match Steinitz won 8–6 to succeed Anderssen as the world's leading player — a slow maneuvering struggle Lasker later called a forerunner of positional chess.
  • 1870.07.30 Steinitz, William vsPaulsen, Louis 1-0 Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Steinitz Gambit, Paulsen Defense 36 moves Baden-Baden Baden-Baden 1870 — the audacious Steinitz Gambit in the flesh: he walks his king to e3 in the opening (5.Ke2, 8.Ke3) and still wins, living proof of his creed that the king is a strong piece.
  • 1872.08.17 Steinitz, William vsZukertort, Johannes Hermann 1-0 King's Gambit Accepted: Silberschmidt Gambit 45 moves Match Steinitz-Zukertort +7-1=4 London 1872 — a King's Gambit from the match Steinitz swept 7–1 over Zukertort, a foretaste of their 1886 world-title clash.
  • 1873.08.11 Steinitz, William vsAnderssen, Adolf 1-0 Queen's Gambit Declined: Modern Variation, Normal Line 26 moves Wien International-01 Vienna 1873 — Steinitz outplays the great Anderssen in a Queen's Gambit, the rook raid 16.Rxd7 and 18.Qxf7+ deciding it.
  • 1876.02.17 Steinitz, William vsBlackburne, Joseph Henry 1-0 Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Anderssen Variation 34 moves Match Steinitz-Blackburne +7-0=0 London 1876 — from the match Steinitz won 7–0 without conceding a game: a model Ruy Lopez build-up (g4, Ne3–f5) erupts into a kingside mating attack (23.Qh6, 25.Bf6).
  • 1885.02.09 Steinitz, William vsSellman, Alexander 1-0 French Defense: Classical Variation, Steinitz Variation 35 moves Match Steinitz-Sellman (2) +3-0=0 Baltimore 1885 — a textbook positional game against the French: Steinitz clamps the queenside with the knight tour Nd1–b1–d2–b3–a5 and squeezes Sellman to defeat, a favourite of the strategy manuals.
  • 1886.02.10 Zukertort, Johannes Hermann vsSteinitz, William 0-1 Queen's Gambit Declined: Vienna Variation, Quiet Variation 38 moves World-ch01 Steinitz-Zukertort +10-5=5 Game 9 of the 1886 match — the first official World Championship. Steinitz saddles White with hanging pawns on c4 and d4 (22.c4), besieges them and breaks through: the model of his positional doctrine.
  • 1886.03.29 Steinitz, William vsZukertort, Johannes Hermann 1-0 Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense: Steinitz Gambit 19 moves World-ch01 Steinitz-Zukertort +10-5=5 The final game of that match — winning it made Steinitz the first official World Chess Champion (10–5). A 19-move Vienna crowned by 15.Ne4, 16.Bxh6 and 17.Rxh6!
  • 1892.01.07 Steinitz, William vsChigorin, Mikhail Ivanovich 1-0 Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Anti-Berlin Variation 28 moves World-ch04 Steinitz-Chigorin +10-8=5 Game 4 of the 1892 title defence — a patient Ruy Lopez build-up erupts with the rook sacrifice 24.Rxh7+! Kxh7 25.Qh1+, mating on move 29.
  • 1892.02.07 Steinitz, William vsChigorin, Mikhail Ivanovich 1-0 Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Anderssen Variation 38 moves World-ch04 Steinitz-Chigorin +10-8=5 Game 16 of the 1892 match — Steinitz cripples Black's queenside pawns, takes the freer game, and forces a passed pawn home by a neat combination.
  • 1892.02.28 Chigorin, Mikhail Ivanovich vsSteinitz, William 0-1 King's Gambit Accepted: Schallopp Defense 32 moves World-ch04 Steinitz-Chigorin +10-8=5 The 23rd and decisive game: with Steinitz pressing hard, Chigorin's 32.Bb4?? walked into 32…Rxh2+ (33.Kg1 Rg2#) — one of history's most famous blunders, and the move that let Steinitz keep his crown.
  • 1895.08.17 Steinitz, William vsVon Bardeleben, Curt 1-0 Italian Game: Giuoco Piano, Greco's Attack 25 moves Hastings International Masters Hastings 1895, brilliancy prize — Steinitz's Immortal. His rook rampages along the seventh rank untouchable (22.Rxe7+ … 25.Rxh7+); von Bardeleben walked out rather than resign, and Steinitz announced the forced mate. He called it his finest game.
  • 1896.01.09 Steinitz, William vsLasker, Emanuel 1-0 Queen's Gambit Declined: Harrwitz Attack 31 moves St Petersburg Four Masters St. Petersburg 1895–96 — the deposed champion strikes back, sacrificing to storm the king (14.Qxe4, 16.Qxg6) and beating the reigning World Champion Emanuel Lasker in their four-master tournament.
  • 1876.02.24 Blackburne, Joseph Henry vsSteinitz, William 0-1 Scotch Game: Horwitz Attack, Blackburne Variation 51 moves Match Steinitz-Blackburne +7-0=0 London 1876 — a 51-move win with Black against Joseph Henry Blackburne. Selected in Garry Kasparov, My Great Predecessors, Part I, game 15 (PDF page 121).
  • 1867.06.27 Steinitz, William vsWinawer, Szymon 1-0 French Defense: Winawer Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation 28 moves Paris Congres International Paris 1867 — a 28-move win with White against Szymon Winawer. Selected in Savielly Tartakower and Julius du Mont, 500 Master Games of Chess, game 245 (PDF page 173).
  • 1873.08.04 Rosenthal, Samuel vsSteinitz, William 0-1 Three Knights Opening: Steinitz Defense 38 moves Wien International-01 Vienna 1873 — a 38-move win with Black against Samuel Rosenthal. Selected in Savielly Tartakower and Julius du Mont, 500 Master Games of Chess, game 146 (PDF page 111).
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