Wilhelm Steinitz - the first official World Chess Champion

Long before Magnus Carlsen or Bobby Fischer, there was Wilhelm Steinitz the man who started it all. In 1886, he became the first official World Chess Champion… and he held that title for 8 years!

Wilhelm Steinitz
Photo : Wikipedia 

But Steinitz wasn’t just a winner. He changed how people played chess. Back then, everyone loved wild, attacking games. But Steinitz said, “Wait...what if we actually use strategy?” He taught players to focus on position, structure, and defense, not just flashy moves.

In 1866
Photo : Wikipedia 


At first, people thought he was boring  but then he kept beating everyone.

Steinitz showed the world that chess wasn’t just a battle… it was a science.

Today, every grandmaster — from Kasparov to Carlsen — owes something to Steinitz. 

Emanuel Lasker (right) playing with Steinitz for the World Chess Championship, New York 1894. Lasker won the game and became the next World Champion
Photo : Wikipedia 

About Him

He was Born on May 14, 1836 and was a Bohemian-Austrian, and later American, chess player.Died at age of 64 in New York, United States. He was a highly influential writer, chess journalist and chess theoretician as well.

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