Chessville Reviews - The Collected Works of Wilhelm Steinitz - Edited by Sid Pickard

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The Collected Works of Wilhelm Steinitz
Reviewed By Prof. Nagesh Havanur

Edited by Sid Pickard

Format: CD

Produced in ChessBase Format

ChessBase Reader included

Who was the greatest player of all time? In the last century arguments raged over the claims of Lasker, Capablanca and Alekhine. In modern times Fischer and Kasparov can lay claim to the same distinction. Yet the fact remains that none of these great figures could rival the score of Steinitz in terms of chess career. The First World Champion held the title and reigned over the chess world for 28 years.

In recent years the legacy of the Bohemian Caesar has been preserved by a dedicated band of followers, Kurt Landsberger, Dr.Vlastimil Fiala and last but not the least Sid Pickard, the author of this CD. Needless to say that a short review can hardly do justice to this monumental work. A mild flavor of the contents is all that can be attempted.

For starters, there are three works of Steinitz presented in e-book format:

Modern Chess Instructor
The Sixth American Chess Congress
The Steinitz Gambit

The first work is his magnum opus of instruction that moves from fundamentals to advanced ideas with 79 illustrative games.

The second is a collection of games from an historic event in which Tschigorin and Weiss tied for first and second place. All 430 games are deeply annotated by Steinitz, who was asked to edit the tournament book.

The third presents his favorite opening with a daring king march:

1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.f4 exf4 4.d4 Qh4+ 5.Ke2!? [diagram]

There are as many as 300 illustrative games here.

The Magazine section carries selections from The Field and The International Chess Magazine. The best part of the CD is, of course, the biographical collection with 1072 games played by Steinitz. There are 22 text documents and 288 games annotated by Steinitz. His account of the four World Championship matches and other events is perhaps the most valuable part of this work. However, there are also lesser-known masterpieces which should not be overlooked, like the following spirited encounter:

Steinitz - Blackburne
Match London (5) , 1876

1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4

The Vienna Gambit, a favourite of Steinitz.

3...d5 4.d3 Bb4

This move is not bad in itself. But there are also other options: 4...exf4 5.exd5 (5.Bxf4Bb4 =) Nxd5 6.Nxd5 Qxd5 7.Bxf4 Bd6 8.Bxd6 Qxd6 9.Qd2 0-0 10.Nf3 (The immediate 10.0-0-0 is also possible) 10...Bg4 11.Be2 Bxf3 12.Bxf3 Re8+ 13.Be2 Qe7?! (13...Nc6 is preferable.) 14.0-0! It is only now that Black discovers that he cannot capture the Bishop on e2. Fortunately for him, no real damage was done and the game ended in a quick draw. (Bronstein-Matanovic Vienna, 1957)

Lasker followed the classical principle of development, knights before bishops and played 4...Nc6 against Steinitz in London, 1899 International Tournament. The game won the First Brilliancy Prize for Lasker.

5.fxe5 Nxe4!?

A terrific TN serving a sacrificial shock. The prosaic variation 5...d4 6.exf6 dxc3 7.b3 Qxf6 8.Nf3 Bg4 9.Be2 Nc6 leads to a manoeuvering game, hardly to the taste of Blackburne.

6.dxe4 Qh4+ 7.Ke2 Bxc3 8.bxc3 Bg4+ 9.Nf3 dxe4 10.Qd4!

The saving clause which redeems White's game.

10...Bh5

Forced. After 10...exf3+?? 11.gxf3 Bxf3+ 12.Kxf3+- Black has only a few spite-checks and remains a piece down.

11.Ke3!

This is superior to 11.Kd2?! Qg4 12.h3 Qf4+ 13.Ke1 (13.Kd1 exf3 14.Bxf4 fxg2+-+) 13...Qg3+ according to Steinitz. But even after 14.Qf2 Qxf2+ 15.Kxf2 exf3 16.gxf3± White's chances are preferable on account of his two bishops and active king.

11.Kd1? exf3 12.Qxh4 (12.gxf3Bxf3+) 12...fxg2+ 13.Qxh5 gxh1 =Q is worse for White.

11...Bxf3 12.Bb5+!

Not12.gxf3? Qe1+ 13.Kf4 Qh4+=

12...c6 13.gxf3 cxb5 14.Qxe4 Qh6+?!

Steinitz prefers this move pushing back the White monarch to 14...Qxe4+ 15.Kxe4. But I do not agree. Immediate exchange of queens would have given Black drawing chances. He never gets the opportunity again.

15.Kf2 Qc6 16.Qd4 Na6

Not 16...Nd7? 17.Rg1 g6?? 18.e6!+-

17.Ba3 b4 18.Bxb4 Nxb4 19.Qxb4 Rc8 20.Rab1 b6

Not 20...Qxc3? 21.Qxc3 Rxc3 22.Rxb7 Rxc2+ 23.Ke3+- White wins the a-pawn on account of his threat of Rb8+ on the next move.

21.Rb3 Rd8 22.Re1 Rd5 23.Re4 Qh6 24.h4 g5?!

A desperate sortie that hastens the collapse of Black's position.

24...Qc1 offered better chances of resistance, although after 25.Qa4+ Kf8 (25...Kd8 26.Rbb4!) 26.Qxa7 Black is still lost according to Steinitz.

25.e6! fxe6 26.Qa4+ Ke7

Not 26...Rd7? 27.Rd4 Qg7 28.Rxb6! axb6 29.Qa8+ Ke7 30.Rxd7+ Kf6 (30...Kxd7?? 31.Qa7++-) 31.hxg5+ Kf5 32.Qe4++-

27.Qxa7+ Rd7 28.Qxb6 Rc8 29.Qe3 Kf7 30.Rb5 Rcd8 31.Rxg5 Rd2+ 32.Kg3 Rd1 33.Rf4+

33.Reg4! threatening 34.Qf4+Ke7 followed by 35.Rg7+ would have won the game immediately according to Steinitz. The attractive move 33.Rf5+ exf5 (33...Kg6?? 34.Rf6+!+-) 34.Qxh6 fxe4 would only have prolonged Black's resistance.

33...Ke7 34.Qe5! R1d5 35.Rg7+ Ke8 36.Qf6 Qxf6 37.Rxf6+- R8d6 38.Rxh7 Rc5 39.Rg6 Kf8 40.h5 Rdd5 41.Rxe6 Rxh5 42.Rxh5 Rxh5 43.a4

Blackburne fights on out of sheer obstinacy, although the game is hopeless for Black.

43...Rc5 44.Re3 Rc4 45.Kf2 Kf7 46.Ke2 Kf6 47.Kd3 Rxa4 48.c4 Ra1 49.c5 Ra4 50.Re4 Ra1 51.Kc4 Ra4+ 52.Kd5 Ra3 53.c6

Black resigns. After 53...Rxf3 54.c7 Rc3 55.Rc4 It is all over.

Highly Recommended.

From the Publisher's website:

The Collected Works of Wilhelm Steinitz includes the following, all in interactive ChessBase format:

The Games of Wilhelm Steinitz - This main biographical collection has 1,072 games played by Steinitz, and includes 22 text documents, with 288 games annotated by Steinitz. These are given in full text, woven into the game notation. Steinitz's own account of 4 World Championships, the London-Vienna match, the cable match with Tschigorin and much more, all bound together with Keys, hyperlinks and photos. Screen shot 1 Screen shot 2

The Modern Chess Instructor e-book - Steinitz's masterpiece in 20 text documents, which include 7 chapters of Steinitz teaching chess - from the moves and rules onward. Then Steinitz discusses the openings in chess, examining 8 major openings with 167 Surveys and 79 Illustrative Games. Also included is the Steinitz-Tschigorin match of 1889, for the World Championship. A complete course in chess! Screen shot

The 6th American Chess Congress e-book - Tschigorin and Weiss tie for 1st & 2nd place. 5 text documents, including the Committee Report and tournament crosstable. Then all 430 games are given, each annotated by Steinitz. An important part of American chess history, and one of the best tournament books of all time. Screen shot 1 Screen shot 2

A "Magazines" collection - which has large excerpts from the Field, and the International Chess Magazine. About 85 games here, plus 13 text documents - including the Wisker-MacDonnell match (1874), the Zukertort-Rosenthal match (1880), the Lipschuetz-Delmar match (1888) and many additional games. Also found are the "analysis" lines from the Steinitz-Tschigorin cable match and the famous article "Morphy and the Play of His Time". Screen shot 1 Screen shot 2

The Steinitz Gambit e-book - Covering 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.f4 exf4 4.d4 Qh4+ 5.Ke2. A modern, useful openings book, and a comprehensive look at Steinitz's radical idea. 2 text documents, 6 Surveys and 300 games (150 with notes, 28 by Steinitz), and an excellent openings Key included. Screen shot

Bonus - A .pdf file of all Steinitz crosstables, 2 Steinitz screensavers, an electronic jigsaw puzzle and lots of great photos! Altogether nearly 900 games annotated by Steinitz, plus his two books, and extended excerpts from his writings - a lifetime of chess enjoyment!

ChessBase Reader included - no other software required.

For another review of this title, see The Steinitz Papers and The Collected Works of Wilhelm Steinitz, reviewed by Mike Rosensaft.

The Collected
Works of
Wilhelm Steinitz

Available now in the
Chessville bookstore!

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