| Wilhelm Steinitz is noted as one of the world's | | | | to London and become a professional chess |
| best chess players. This should come as no | | | | player. In 1863 Steinitz gained recognition as one |
| surprise, especially since the Steinitz Gambit is a | | | | of the world's leading chess players. This occurred |
| chess move that is still used today, over 100 | | | | after he won a match against Blackburne. |
| years after his death. | | | | Blackburne was considered an English grandmaster |
| Steinitz was born on May 17, 1836 to a Jewish | | | | and a "top ten" chess player for many decades. |
| family in a ghetto in Prague. He was born as the | | | | Steinitz won seven games, lost one, and tied in |
| youngest child to a hardware retailer with 12 older | | | | two games in his match with Blackburne. This |
| siblings. He started playing chess at the age of 12. | | | | success was quickly followed by successful wins |
| At this time, no one could have guessed that he | | | | against Mongredien, Green, Deacon, and Robey. |
| was going to amaze the world with his chess | | | | In 1866 Steinitz faced his ultimate chess challenge: |
| strategies. It was not until 1861 when when he | | | | a match against Adolf Adersson. Andersson was |
| tried his hand at chess in a championship that he | | | | revered as a German legend and the best chess |
| won in Vienna, where he had recently moved to | | | | player on the planet. Steinitz won with eight wins |
| work as a journalist. The very next year, in 1862, | | | | and six losses. This was the moment that the |
| Steinitz competed in London, representing Austria | | | | world truly started to believe that Steinitz was |
| in an international chess tournament. He came in | | | | the best chess player in the world. |
| sixth place. Wishing to prove his excellence in the | | | | Steinitz continued to play chess and write about it |
| game of chess, he challenged Dubois, the fifth | | | | until his death in 1900. He married a woman |
| place finisher, to a match. Steinitz won five | | | | named Caroline in the 1860s and had a daughter |
| games, lost three, and tied in one game. | | | | with her named Flora. Caroline in 1892 and Flora |
| Not long after his match against Dubois, Steinitz | | | | died at 21 years old in 1888. A few years later he |
| realized that he had the potential to be a chess | | | | married his second wife and had two more |
| player that would go down in history. He moved | | | | children with her. |