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World Chess Championship
The Great Rivalries
Steinitz - Zukertort

See The Great Rivalries for the full list of events covered by this page, plus pages on other rivalries.

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Results by color
Result 1872 1883 1886 Total
1-0 4 8 12
0-1 4 2 7 13
1/2 4 5 9

Results by player
Result Zukertort
White		 Steinitz
White		 Total
1-0 3 9 12
0-1 9 4 13
1/2 5 4 9

First moves by each player
White 1st move 1872 1883 1886 Total
Zukertort 1.d4 9 9
Zukertort 1.e4 6 1 1 8
Steinitz 1.d4 2 2
Steinitz 1.e4 4 1 10 15

ECO Classification
ECO Zukertort
White		 Steinitz
White		 Total
A8 1 1
A9 1 1
C2 1 1
C3 3 3
C4 2 1 3
C5 4 1 5
C6 1 8 9
C7 1 1 2
D1 3 3
D2 1 1
D3 1 1
D4 1 1
D5 3 3

Score by ECO classification
White ECO 1872
gms		 1872
pct		 1883
gms		 1883
pct		 1886
gms		 1886
pct		 Total
gms		 Total
pct
Zukertort C 6 25% 1 0% 1 0% 8 19%
Zukertort D 9 44% 9 44%
Steinitz A 2 100% 2 100%
Steinitz C 4 63% 1 0% 10 65% 15 60%

Steinitz - Zukertort
Opening Repertoire
Matches

1. e4

1. d4 d5 9 games; see 1.d4 (1... f5 The Dutch Defense was the only non-symmetrical opening used in the two matches. Steinitz won both games. 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 e6 4. Nf3 Be7 5. c4 (5. O-O O-O 1872-12 WS-JZ) 5... Bb4+ 1872-10 WS-JZ)

1... e5 2. Nf3

2. Nc3 Nc6 3. f4 exf4 1886-20 WS-JZ

2. f4 The three King's Gambits were split +1-1=1. It was Zukertort's only win in the first match. 2... exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. h4 (4. Bc4 g4 5. Ne5 Qh4+ 1872-6 WS-JZ) 4... g4 5. Ne5 (5. Ng5 h6 1872-8 WS-JZ) 5... Bg7 1872-4 WS-JZ

2... Nc6 3. Bb5 11 games; see Ruy Lopez

3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Bb4 1886-2 WS-JZ

3. Nc3 Nf6 (3... g6 4. d4 exd4 5. Nxd4 Bg7 1883-8 JZ-WS) 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 1886-11 JZ-WS

3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 (4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb6 1872-1 JZ-WS (6... Bb4+ 1872-3 JZ-WS)) 4... Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5 6. d4 exd4 7. O-O d3 (7... dxc3 1872-2 WS-JZ) 8. Qb3 Qf6 9. Bg5 1872-11 JZ-WS (9. e5 1872-9 JZ-WS)

*

Steinitz - Zukertort
Ruy Lopez
Matches

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6

3... a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. Bxc6+ (6. c3 g6 1883-20 WS-JZ) 6... bxc6 7. h3 g6 8. Nc3 Bg7 (8... c5 9. Bg5 c6 1872-7 JZ-WS) 9. Be3 c5 1872-5 JZ-WS

4. O-O

4. d3 d6 5. c3 g6 6. d4 Bd7 7. Nbd2 Bg7 8. dxe5 Nxe5 9. Nxe5 dxe5 10. Qe2 O-O 11. Bd3 (11. f3 a5 1886-18 WS-JZ) 11... Qe7 1886-16 WS-JZ

4... Nxe4 5. Re1

Unusual. 5. d4 is more common, but Steinitz avoided this natural move.

5... Nd6 6. Nxe5


This line in the Berlin Defense, with Steinitz as White, was played 6 times in the 1886 match. The result was +2-1=3.

6... Nxe5

6... Be7 7. Bd3 (7. Bxc6 dxc6 1886-12 WS-JZ) 7... O-O 1886-8 WS-JZ

7. Rxe5+ Be7 8. Nc3

8. Bf1 O-O 1886-4 WS-JZ

8... O-O 9. Bd3 c6

9... Bf6 1886-6 WS-JZ

10. b3 Re8

10... Ne8 1886-14 WS-JZ

11. Ba3 Bf8 1886-10 WS-JZ *

Steinitz - Zukertort
1.d4
Matches

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6

2... c6 3. e3 (3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 Bf5 1886-5 JZ-WS) 3... Bf5 4. Nc3 (4. a3 e6 1886-3 JZ-WS) 4... e6 5. Nf3 Nd7 6. a3 Bd6 1886-1 JZ-WS

3. Nc3 Nf6


Zukertort reached this position 6 times as White during the 1886 match. His overall result was +1-3=2.

4. Bg5

4. Nf3 dxc4 5. e3 c5 1886-9 JZ-WS

4. Bf4 c5 1886-13 JZ-WS

4. e3 c5 5. Nf3 Nc6 1886-7 JZ-WS

4... Be7

4... c5 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bxf6 gxf6 1886-15 JZ-WS

5. Nf3 O-O 6. e3

6. c5 b6 1886-19 JZ-WS

6... dxc4 1886-17 JZ-WS *

World Chess Championship Index.
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