STEINITZ, WILHELM

born May 18, 1836, Prague, Bohemia, Austrian Empire [now in Czech Republic] died Aug. 12, 1900, Wards Island, N.Y., U.S. Austrian chess master who is considered to have been the world champion longer than any other player, winning the championship in 1866 from Adolph Anderssen and losing it in 1894 to Emanuel Lasker. Steinitz learned to play chess from a schoolmate when he was about 12 years old. In 1858 he entered the Polytechnic Institute in Vienna but soon dropped out of school and occupied himself with chess full-time. In 1862 he represented Austria in his first National tournament. Later that year, he moved to England and in 1883 to the United States, where he was finally defeated by Lasker. A superb defensive player, particularly in his later years, he sought to systematize chess and devoted much time and effort to arguing his theories. Following his defeat by Lasker, Steinitz suffered a nervous breakdown and was hospitalized in Moscow. He recovered for a time but fell ill again and died a pauper.