32 



KNOWLEDGE 



[Nov. 1, 1885. 



By Mephisto. 



STEINITZ V, ZUKERTORT, 



■^H IRTV-FIVE yearsago, the late Professor Anderssen, 

 of Breslau, won the first International Chess 

 Tournament, organised at the time of the first 

 International Exhibition. This victory won 

 him the well-deserved reputation of champion 

 player of the world. In lS.i8, there appeared, 

 ulcteor-like, Paul Morphy, who, aided by his phe- 

 nomenal genius for the game, defeated every 

 player he met, including Anderssen. Jlorphy's 

 reigu over his Chess kingdom was unfortunately but brief. In 1862, 

 we again see Anderssen coming to the fore, by winning the second 

 London International Tournament. One of the competitors in tliat 

 tournament, Wilhelm Steinitz, then came to the front, and, in 1866, 

 he dethroned Anderssen by defeating him in a set match, of which, 

 we believe, the result was— Steinitz 6, Auder.ssen -t. About the year 

 1870, Zukertort appeared in tlie Chess arena in England. In 187-1, 

 Zukertort engaged in a match with Steinitz, but the latter won by 

 seven games to one. In 1876, Blackburne boldly threw down the 

 gauntlet, and challenged Steinitz ; but be met with even a worse 

 fate than Zukertort. Steinitz won every game of the match. 



Steinitz's title to be regarded as the Chess Champion of the 

 World was not questioned until a few years afterwards. Zukertort, 

 who claimed to have defeated Anderssen, also defeated Rosenthal and 

 Blackburne in set matches, tlie former by seven to one, and the 

 latter by seven to two. Of course, these two matches could not 

 affect Steinitz's position ; nevertheless, Zukertort had some fair 

 grounds for claiming that title after the London Tournament of 

 188.S. Although we are not at all inclined to believe that anything 

 but a personal encounter could decide the claim of one player to be 

 considered the Chess Champion in preference to another, especially 

 if he has previously been defeated in a match by him ; yet we must 

 admit that not only was the London Tournament an exceptionally 

 strong one, but the feat accomplished by Zukertort in winning the 

 first prize, he only losing one game— being three games ahead of 

 Steinitz— was an unequalled success, fully entitling him to the 

 highest honours in Cliess. Since that time the Chess world in 

 general, and Steinitz in particular, wi.shed to see a combat between 

 these two Chess Titans. At the present moment there are fair 

 prospects of a match taking place in America, between Zukeitort 

 and Steinitz, to decide which is the better man. The match will be 

 for £400 a side for the first ten games, and there can be no doubt 

 that it will eclipse in point of interest any previous combat of the 

 kind. Whichever of the two players loses will not be di.sgr;tccd,for 

 both players have attained the highest rung on the Chess ladder, and 

 their reputation will live on their numerous and brilliant .successes 

 of the past, as well as their analytical labours, which latter have 

 largely contributed towards modelling modern Chess theories. 



We'think it will be of interest to our readers to give some speci- 

 mens of the previous play between these two masters. 



Position at the 18th move of a game played between 

 Steinitz and Zukertort in 1872. 



Zukertort— Black. 









SlliNirz — WuiTi . 



White continued the game with — 



19. Kt to Kt.") B to 113 ! 



A subtle move, to which White makes an equally good reply. Black 

 would win if White accepted the bait of the exchange, for after 



20. KtxP, BxB! 21. QxB(best), Q to K2 ; 22. Kt x B, QxP; 



23. Q to Q2, P to B7 ; 24. R to R3, R x Kt, Black has the best game. 



Position after the 22nd move of a game played in the 

 Vienna International Tournament of 1882. 



Zi'KEBTOHT — Black. 



Steinitz— White. 



The game terminated as follows : — 



23. P X B. 



Obviously White cannot play Q x B, on account of B to R.5 (ch). 



Q to KtS (ch) 



24. K to Q2 Q X P (ch) 



25. K to K3 R to K sq. (ch) 



26. K to Q4 Q to K5 (ch) 



27. KtoBo Q to K2 (ch ) 



28. PtoQ6 Qto K4 (ch) 



29. KxP Qto K5(ch) 



30. K to KtS R to Kt sq. (ch.) 



and Black won. 



Position after White's 21st move of a game played in the 

 London Tournament of 1883. 



Steinitz— Blvck. 





Zceertoht — AVhite. 



Black continued with — 



21. Q to B4, 

 Much better than P to Q4. If Kt x P, Q to B4 (ch) ! 



22. QR to K sq. R to K sq. 



23. R to K3 ! R X Kt 



A brilliant attack on the part of Wliite ; he gains the exchange, Ivi.t 

 puts his Q out of play. 



