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Home›World chess champions›Wilhelm Steinitz
World champion #1 · 1886–1894

♚ Wilhelm Steinitz

Positional pioneer · Austria / USA

The first official world champion turned chess from a duel of daring attacks into a game of principles. Steinitz taught that small, lasting advantages — a weak pawn, a bad bishop, a safe king — decide games, and that an attack only works when the position has earned it.

Three lessons from Steinitz for your own games

  1. Accumulate small advantages before attacking
  2. Defend patiently when your position is solid
  3. Judge a position by its structure, not by tricks

Wilhelm Steinitz’s games to replay

Steinitz, William – Von Bardeleben, CurtHastings · 1895The Hastings Immortal1–0Maroczy, Geza – Steinitz, WilliamLondon · 18991–0Steinitz, William – Janowsky, Dawid MarkelowiczLondon · 18990–1Bird, Henry Edward – Steinitz, WilliamLondon · 18990–1Steinitz, William – Tinsley, SamuelLondon · 18991–0Steinitz, William – Mason, JamesLondon · 18990–1Tinsley, Samuel – Steinitz, WilliamLondon · 18990–1Steinitz, William – Maroczy, GezaLondon · 1899½–½Steinitz, William – Blackburne, Joseph HenryLondon · 18990–1Steinitz, William – Schlechter, CarlLondon · 18990–1Steinitz, William – Cohn, WilhelmLondon · 1899½–½Schlechter, Carl – Steinitz, WilliamLondon · 18991–0Blackburne, Joseph Henry – Steinitz, WilliamLondon · 18990–1Steinitz, William – Pillsbury, Harry NelsonLondon · 18990–1Steinitz, William – Lee, FrancisLondon · 1899½–½Mason, James – Steinitz, WilliamLondon · 18990–1Showalter, Jackson Whipps – Steinitz, WilliamLondon · 18991–0Pillsbury, Harry Nelson – Steinitz, WilliamLondon · 18991–0Chigorin, Mikhail – Steinitz, WilliamLondon · 18991–0Cohn, Wilhelm – Steinitz, WilliamLondon · 18990–1Lee, Francis – Steinitz, WilliamLondon · 18991–0Steinitz, William – Bird, Henry EdwardLondon · 1899½–½Steinitz, William – Showalter, Jackson WhippsLondon · 1899½–½Janowsky, Dawid Markelowicz – Steinitz, WilliamLondon · 18990–1
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