Chess lessons › Famous chess games
Wilhelm Steinitz
The first world champion, and his most famous attack: Steinitz against von Bardeleben, Hastings 1895.
The idea
The first world champion leaves three pieces attacked, and wins.
- The knight on e7 is pinned to the king by the rook on e1.
- Black’s queen on d7 attacks White’s queen on g4.
- Rxe7+ takes the knight with check, and every reply loses.
In a game: When your piece is attacked, first look for a check that wins more.
How the lesson begins
Wilhelm Steinitz was born in Prague in 1836. In 1866 he beat Adolf Anderssen in a match in London, and in 1886 he beat Johannes Zukertort to become the first official world champion. He kept the title until 1894, when Emanuel Lasker beat him.
Steinitz changed how chess was played. He taught that an attack works only when the position is ready for it. Until then a player should collect small advantages, such as a better pawn structure or a weak square in the enemy camp, and defend calmly.
At Hastings in 1895 Steinitz, now 59, has White against Curt von Bardeleben. After a run of trades White has an isolated pawn on d4, but Black’s king is still in the centre.
- 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ Black checks with the bishop.
- 7. Nc3 d5 8. exd5 Nxd5 9. O-O White castles. Black never castles in this game.
- 9... Be6 10. Bg5 Be7 11. Bxd5 Bxd5 12. Nxd5 Qxd5 13. Bxe7 Nxe7 14. Re1 The rook comes to the open e-file and pins the knight on e7 to the king.
- 14... f6 15. Qe2 Qd7 16. Rac1 c6 Black guards d5 with the c-pawn.
Find the move
White to move. Find the pawn move that clears the d4 square for White’s knight.
A hint
Push the isolated pawn.
Show the answer
17. d5
d5! gives the pawn. After cxd5 the knight jumps to d4, and from there to e6, deep in Black’s camp.