Steinitz, Wilhelm




Ratings

Year       Rank    Edo    Dev.   Games 
1860  22  2486 (64) 7
1861  19  2510 (54) 2
1862  13  2554 (39) 49
1863  2600 (42) 24
1864  2610 (46) 23
1865  2631 (45) 11
1866  2660 (37) 54
1867  2678 (38) 49
1868  2700 (48) 0
1869  2723 (48) 6
1870  2732 (44) 21
1871  2762 (48) 0
1872  2792 (41) 33
1873  2766 (42) 32
1874  2752 (51) 14
1875  2765 (57) 0
1876  2778 (59) 7
1877  2763 (64) 0
1878  2748 (66) 0
1879  2733 (65) 0
1880  2718 (60) 0
1881  2703 (51) 0
1882  2688 (33) 68
1883  2678 (30) 89
1884  2671 (44) 1
1885  2686 (45) 11
1886  2677 (43) 20
1887  2696 (48) 0
1888  2716 (44) 31
1889  2679 (42) 22
1890  2663 (46) 0
1891  2648 (39) 32
1892  2642 (38) 30
1893  2625 (42) 12
1894  2637 (36) 39
1895  2620 (34) 27
1896  2629 (31) 48
1897  2603 (35) 22
1898  2604 (29) 63
1899  14  2528 (39) 26

Rating table notes

Biographical data
Name: Steinitz, Wilhelm  
   Also known as: William Steinitz; Wolf Steinitz
Born: 14 May 1836
Died: 12 Aug. 1900
 
Notes:
Cornil gives birth date as 14-05-1836; Alberti gives 18-05-1836; Sergeant and Gaige give 17-05-1836; La Stratégie (15 Oct. 1873, p.289) and a biography from the Oestereichische Schachzeitung, appearing in the Hartford Weekly Times of 30 Aug. 1873, the Deutsche Schachzeitung of Aug. 1873 (p.231), and the Illustrirte Zeitung of 5 Jul. 1873 (p.17), give 18-05-1837; Landsberger clarifies the source of the error (Steinitz himself) and confirms that the correct date is 14-05-1836. Harding, in Steinitz in London (p.13) gives a thorough discussion of the sources of the erroneous dates.
 
References
Books
   Cornil, Le Café de la Régence, page 249
   Di Felice, Chess Results, 1747-1900, page 28
   Feenstra Kuiper, 100 Jahre Schachturniere, page 289, 305
   Feenstra Kuiper, 100 Jahre Schachzweikämpfe, page 96
   Féry d'Esclands, Congrès des Échecs 1867, page lxii
   Forster, Amos Burn, page 27, 620, 969
   Forster, Negele and Tischbierek, Emanuel Lasker, Vol.I, page 46
   Gaige, Chess Personalia, page 406
   Golombek, Golombek's Encyclopedia, page 309
   Harding, Eminent Victorian Chess Players, page 160, 320, 369
   Harding, Joseph Henry Blackburne, page 183, 411, 580
   Harding, Steinitz in London
   Hooper and Whyld, Oxford Companion (1st ed.), page 330
   Landsberger, Steinitz Papers
   Landsberger, William Steinitz, page 3
   Murray, History of Chess, page 889
   Reichhelm and Shipley, Chess in Philadelphia, page 14
   Sánchez, José Raúl Capablanca, page 24, 483
   Sergeant, Century of British Chess, page 142
Periodicals
   [DSZ], vol. 28, no. 8, Aug. 1873, page 230
   [HWT], 30 Aug. 1873
   [HWT], 25 Oct. 1873
   [IZL], vol. 41, no. 1566, 5 July 1873, page 17
   [OSZ], vol. 2, no. 31, July 1873, page 215
   [Str], vol. 1, no. 7, 15 July 1867, page 147
   [Str], vol. 6, no. 10, 15 Oct. 1873, page 289
Web
   Alberti, Marco A.  [Wilhem Steinitz]
   Giffen, Glen.  [Steinitz, Wilhelm]
   Kingston, Taylor.  [Less Hype, More Notes], page 3
   Sericano, C.  [Maestri di scacchi dell'800]
   Steinitz, Wilhelm.  [1883 Interview with Steinitz on his Meeting Morphy]
   Winter, Edward.  [CN 4756. Census information]

Match data  (f=formal; c=casual; s=soft)

Steinitz, W. - Jenay, E. 1860         (f)     2   -   2
Steinitz, W. - Lang, A. 1860         (c)     3   -   0
Steinitz, W. - Strauss, R. 1860         (c)     3   -   0
Steinitz, W. - Reiner (1) 1860         (c)     3   -   0
Anderssen (offhand) - Steinitz, W. 1862         (s)     4   -   2
Steinitz, W. - Dubois, S. 1862         (f)     5.5   -   3.5
Paulsen, L. - Steinitz, W. 1862         (c)     0   -   2      Paulsen, L. gave odds of pawn and move
Steinitz, W. - Bird, H.E. 1862         (c)     8   -   8
Steinitz, W. - Blackburne, J.H. 1863         (f)     8   -   2
Steinitz, W. - Deacon, F.H. 1863         (f)     5.5   -   1.5
Steinitz, W. - Mongredien, A. (1) 1863         (c)     7   -   0
Steinitz, W. - Green, V. 1864         (f)     8   -   1
Steinitz, W. - Healey, E. 1864 (1)         (f)     5   -   1      Steinitz, W. gave odds of a knight
Steinitz, W. - Healey, E. 1864 (2)         (f)     5.5   -   1.5      Steinitz, W. gave odds of a knight
Steinitz, W. - Hirschfeld, P.M. 1864         (c)     0.5   -   0.5
Steinitz, W. - Robey, J. 1865         (f)     4   -   1
Steinitz, W. - Wayte, W. 1865         (c)     1   -   0
Steinitz, W. - de Vere, C.V. 1866         (f)     4   -   8      Steinitz, W. gave odds of pawn and move
Steinitz, W. - Anderssen, K.E.A. 1866         (f)     8   -   6
Steinitz, W. - Bird, H.E. 1866         (f)     9.5   -   7.5
Steinitz, W. - Fraser, G.B. 1867 (1)         (f)     7.5   -   1.5      Steinitz, W. gave odds of pawn and move
Steinitz, W. - Fraser, G.B. 1867 (2)         (f)     4   -   2
Steinitz, W. - Blackburne, J.H. 1869         (f)     1   -   0
Steinitz, W. - Blackburne, J.H. 1870         (f)     1.5   -   0.5
Rosenthal, S. - Steinitz, W. 1870         (c)     1   -   0
Steinitz, W. - Zukertort, J.H. 1872         (f)     9   -   3
Paulsen, L. - Steinitz, W. 1873         (c)     3   -   2
Steinitz, W. - Bode, C.H. 1874         (f)     9.5   -   3.5      Steinitz, W. gave odds of a knight
Steinitz, W. - Blackburne, J.H. 1876         (f)     7   -   0
Steinitz, W. - Martinez, D.M. 1882 (1)         (f)     7   -   0
Steinitz, W. - Martinez, D.M. 1882 (2)         (f)     4.5   -   2.5
Steinitz, W. - Kaiser, J.A. 1882         (c)     2   -   0
Steinitz, W. - Michaelis, O.E. 1882         (c)     2   -   0
Steinitz, W. - Thompson, D.S. 1882 (1)         (c)     3   -   0
Steinitz, W. - Miller, E.H. 1882         (c)     1   -   0
Steinitz, W. - Thompson, D.S. 1882 (2)         (c)     2   -   0      Steinitz, W. gave odds of the move
Steinitz, W. - Shipley, W.P. 1882         (f)     0.5   -   0.5
Steinitz, W. - Labatt, L.L. 1882         (f)     3   -   1      Steinitz, W. gave odds of a knight
Steinitz, W. - Sellman, A.G. 1882         (f)     3.5   -   1.5
Steinitz, W. - Maurian, C.A. 1883         (c)     6.5   -   0.5
Steinitz, W. - McConnell, Ja. (1) 1883         (c)     11.5   -   3.5
Steinitz, W. - Wibray, J. 1883         (c)     1   -   0      Steinitz, W. gave odds of a knight
Steinitz, W. - Farrar, E.H. 1883         (c)     0   -   1      Steinitz, W. gave odds of a knight
Steinitz, W. - Mackenzie, G.H. 1883         (f)     4   -   2
Steinitz, W. - Schloestein, R. 1883         (c)     0   -   1      Steinitz, W. gave odds of a rook
Steinitz, W. - Delmar, E. (1) 1883         (c)     1   -   0
Steinitz, W. - Teed, F.M. 1883         (c)     0.5   -   1.5
Steinitz, W. - Golmayo, C.F. 1883         (f)     8.5   -   1.5
Steinitz, W. - Martinez, D.M. 1883         (f)     10   -   1
Steinitz, W. - Elson, J. 1883         (c)     2   -   1
Steinitz, W. - Eno, W.F. 1884         (c)     0   -   1      Steinitz, W. gave odds of a knight
Steinitz, W. - Sellman, A.G. 1885         (f)     3   -   0
Steinitz, W. - Young, F.K. 1885 (1)         (c)     1   -   0
Steinitz, W. - Young, F.K. 1885 (2)         (c)     1   -   0      Steinitz, W. gave odds of a knight
Steinitz, W. - Paine, W.C. 1885         (c)     2   -   0      Steinitz, W. gave odds of a knight
Steinitz, W. - Snow, C.B. 1885         (c)     2   -   1      Steinitz, W. gave odds of a knight
Steinitz, W. - Everett, W. 1885         (c)     1   -   0      Steinitz, W. gave odds of a knight
Steinitz, W. - Sargent, H.S. 1885         (c)     1   -   0      Steinitz, W. gave odds of a knight
Steinitz, W. - Harlow, F.P. 1885         (c)     1   -   0      Steinitz, W. gave odds of a knight
Steinitz, W. - Worrall, Ms. H.J. 1885         (c)     0   -   1      Steinitz, W. gave odds of a knight
Steinitz, W. - Zukertort, J.H. 1886         (f)     12.5   -   7.5
Steinitz, W. - Golmayo, C.F. 1888 (1)         (f)     5   -   0
Steinitz, W. - Vazquez, A.C. 1888 (1)         (f)     5   -   0
Steinitz, W. - Ponce, A. 1888         (c)     2   -   0
Steinitz, W. - Gavilan, A. 1888         (c)     1   -   0
Steinitz, W. - Golmayo, C.F. 1888 (2)         (c)     4   -   0
Steinitz, W. - Vazquez, A.C. 1888 (2)         (c)     2   -   0
Steinitz, W. - Lopez, G. 1888 (1)         (c)     0   -   1      Steinitz, W. gave odds of a rook
Steinitz, W. - Lopez, G. 1888 (2)         (c)     5   -   4      Steinitz, W. gave odds of a knight
Steinitz, W. - Judd, Max 1888         (c)     2   -   0
Steinitz, W. - Carvajal, V.M. 1889         (c)     4   -   1
Steinitz, W. - Chigorin, M.I. 1889         (f)     10.5   -   6.5
Steinitz, W. - Gunsberg, I.A. 1891         (f)     10.5   -   8.5
Steinitz, W. - Lipschutz, S. 1891         (c)     12   -   1
Steinitz, W. - Chigorin, M.I. 1892         (f)     12.5   -   10.5
Steinitz, W. - Pillsbury, H.N. 1892         (c)     1   -   2      Steinitz, W. gave odds of pawn and move
Steinitz, W. - Barry, J.F. 1892         (c)     1   -   0      Steinitz, W. gave odds of pawn and move
Steinitz, W. - Dresel, E.L. 1892         (c)     1   -   0      Steinitz, W. gave odds of pawn and move
Steinitz, W. - Sargent, H.S. 1892         (c)     1   -   0      Steinitz, W. gave odds of a knight
Steinitz, W. - Winslow 1892         (c)     1   -   0      Steinitz, W. gave odds of a knight
Steinitz, W. - Sanford, G.W. 1892         (c)     1   -   0      Steinitz, W. gave odds of a knight
Steinitz, W. - Robertson, D.C. 1893         (c)     1   -   0
Steinitz, W. - Bemrose, J. 1893         (c)     1   -   0
Steinitz, W. - Hall, W.A. 1893         (c)     1   -   0      Steinitz, W. gave odds of a knight
Steinitz, W. - Short, R. 1893         (c)     1   -   0
Steinitz, W. - Barry, P. 1893         (c)     1   -   1      Steinitz, W. gave odds of a knight
Steinitz, W. - Fleming, R.P. 1893         (c)     1   -   0
Steinitz, W. - Robertson, E.A. 1893         (c)     1   -   0
Steinitz, W. - Babson, J.N. 1893         (c)     1   -   1
Steinitz, W. - Sanderson, E. 1893         (c)     1   -   0
Steinitz, W. - MacLeod, N.M. 1893         (c)     1   -   0
Steinitz, W. - Pope, E. 1893         (c)     1   -   0
Steinitz, W. - Chalk, W. 1893         (c)     1   -   0
Lasker, Em. - Steinitz, W. 1894         (f)     12   -   7
Steinitz, W. - Ettlinger, A.K. 1894         (f)     10   -   0
Steinitz, W. - Lipschutz, S. 1895         (c)     3.5   -   2.5
Steinitz, W. - Solovtsov, A.V. 1896         (c)     1   -   0
Schiffers, E.S. - Steinitz, W. 1896         (f)     4.5   -   6.5
Lasker, Em. - Steinitz, W. 1897         (f)     12.5   -   4.5
Steinitz, W. - Ettlinger, A.K. 1898         (c)     2   -   0
Steinitz, W. - Showalter, J.W. 1898         (c)     2   -   1
Steinitz, W. - Hymes, E. 1898         (c)     1.5   -   0.5
Steinitz, W. - Richardson, P. 1898         (c)     1.5   -   0.5
Steinitz, W. - de Visser, W.M. 1898         (c)     1   -   0
Steinitz, W. - Halpern, J.C. 1898         (c)     1   -   0
Steinitz, W. - Rocamora, S.R. 1898         (c)     1   -   0

Tournament data

Vienna 1861     Vienna Club Tournament    
  Steinitz, W. - Harrwitz, D.     0 - 2    
Vienna 1862     Vienna Free Tournament     30  /  31
London, England 1862 (3)     British Chess Association Congress - Grand Tournament     7.5  /  14
  Steinitz, W. - Dubois, S.     0 - 1    
Dublin 1865     Dublin Masters Tournament     4.5  /  5
London, England 1866 (2)     British Chess Association Handicap Tournament    
  Steinitz, W. - de Vere, C.V.     3 - 1    
  Steinitz, W. - MacDonnell, G.A.     2 - 0    
  Steinitz, W. - Mocatta, A.     2.5 - 0.5          Steinitz, W. gave odds of pawn and move
  Steinitz, W. - Green, S.J.     2 - 0          Steinitz, W. gave odds of pawn and two moves
Paris 1867 (1)     International Chess Congress - Grand Tournament     17.5  /  22
Dundee 1867 (1)     Dundee Tournament     7  /  9
Dundee 1867 (3)     Dundee Handicap Tournament    
  Steinitz, W. - Keating, W.H.     1 - 0          Steinitz, W. gave odds of a knight
  Steinitz, W. - Scott, P.     1.5 - 0.5          Steinitz, W. gave odds of a knight
London, England 1869 (1)     British Chess Association Handicap Tournament    
  Steinitz, W. - Gossip, G.H.D.     1 - 0          Steinitz, W. gave odds of the move
  Steinitz, W. - Franklin, W.L.     1 - 0          Steinitz, W. gave odds of pawn and two moves
  Steinitz, W. - Haggard, H.D.     1 - 0          Steinitz, W. gave odds of a knight
  Steinitz, W. - Mongredien, A. (2)     1 - 0          Steinitz, W. gave odds of a knight
  Steinitz, W. - Wisker, J.     1 - 0          Steinitz, W. gave odds of the move
Baden-Baden 1870     Baden-Baden Tournament     12.5  /  18
London, England 1872 (1)     City of London Club Handicap    
  Steinitz, W. - Lowson, H.     2 - 0          Steinitz, W. gave odds of a rook
  Steinitz, W. - Swyer, S.     2 - 0          Steinitz, W. gave odds of a knight
  Steinitz, W. - Watson (2)     2 - 0          Steinitz, W. gave odds of pawn and two moves
  Steinitz, W. - Potter, W.N.     2 - 0    
  Steinitz, W. - Thomson, R.     1 - 0          Steinitz, W. gave odds of pawn and move
  Steinitz, W. - Keates     2 - 0          Steinitz, W. gave odds of pawn and two moves
London, England 1872 (3)     British Chess Association Grand Tourney     6  /  6
London, England 1872 (4)     British Chess Association Handicap Tournament    
  Steinitz, W. - Fenton, R.H.F.     1 - 0          Steinitz, W. gave odds of pawn and move
  Steinitz, W. - Zukertort, J.H.     1 - 2    
Vienna 1873 (2)     Vienna International Tournament     20.5  /  25
  Steinitz, W. - Blackburne, J.H.     2 - 0    
London, England 1874 (9)     City of London Club - Bermondsey Club Match    
  Steinitz, W. - Huttley, E.J.     1 - 0          Steinitz, W. gave odds of a knight
Vienna 1882 (2)     Vienna International Tournament     22  /  32
  Steinitz, W. - Winawer, S.A.     1 - 1    
London, England 1883 (5)     London Tournament     21.5  /  32
New York 1894 (6)     New York Tournament     8.5  /  10
Hastings 1895 (7)     Hastings International Congress - Master's Tournament     13  /  21
Saint Petersburg 1896     Saint Petersburg Tournament     9.5  /  18
Nuremberg 1896     Nuremberg Tournament     11  /  18
Murray Isle, Thousand Islands 1897 (1)     7th Staats-Zeitung Challenge Cup Tournament     2.5  /  4
  Steinitz, W. - Lipschutz, S.     0.5 - 0.5    
Vienna 1898 (3)     Kaiser Jubiläumsturnier     23.5  /  36
Cologne 1898 (2)     11th German Chess Federation Congress - Meisterturnier     9.5  /  15
London, England 1899 (3)     London Major Tournament     10.5  /  26


Player information updated: 17 Jul. 2025