Steinitz - Lasker
The Players
Emanuel Lasker
(December 24, 1868 – January 11, 1941)
Wilhelm Steinitz
(May 17, 1836 – August 12, 1900)
The Match
The World Championship match in chess between Wilhelm Steinitz and Emanuel Lasker was held in 1894 in New York City and was the first official World Chess Championship match recognized by the newly formed World Chess Federation. The match was played over the course of 19 games, with Lasker ultimately winning by a score of 10-5, with 4 draws.
Lasker to the left , if anyone wondered...
image: Cleveland Public Library, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The match was significant in the history of chess for a number of reasons. It was the first time that the title of World Chess Champion had been officially contested, and it also marked a significant shift in the way that chess was played. Lasker's victory in the match was seen as a turning point in the history of chess, signaling the beginning of a new era of more sophisticated and nuanced play.
That Lasker had a great admiration for his predecessor on the WC throne is clear from his words: "... and I who defeated him must see that his great achievement and his theories are done justice, and I must avenge the wrongs he suffered."