Wilhelm steinitz biography template

Austrian-American chess player (1836–1900)

William Steinitz (born Wilhelm Steinitz; May 14, 1836 – August 12, 1900) was a Bohemian-Austrian, and later American, chess player.

From 1886 to 1894, he was the first World Chess Champion. He was also a highly influential writer and chess theoretician.

Wilhelm steinitz biography template

When discussing chess history from the 1850s onwards, commentators have debated whether Steinitz could be effectively considered the champion from an earlier time, perhaps as early as 1866. Steinitz lost his title to Emanuel Lasker in 1894, and lost a rematch in 1896–97.

Statistical rating systems give Steinitz a rather low ranking among world champions, mainly because he took several long breaks from competitive play. However, an analysis based on one of these rating systems shows that he was one of the most dominant players in the history of the game.

Steinitz was unbeaten in match play for 32 years, from 1862 to 1894.

Although Steinitz became "world num