Johannes Zukertort

Johannes Hermann Zukertort ( born September 7, 1842 in Lublin, Russian Empire, † June 20, 1888 in London ) was a Polish- German chess master. As a professional player, he spent most of his career in England. In 1886, he lost to Wilhelm Steinitz in the first competition for the world chess championship.

Earlier career

Zukertort was of Jewish origin. His father, Yankel Ezekiel Cukiertort (1801-1887) - since 1833 Gottlieb ( Bogumil ) January Zukertort - was converted to evangelical Christianity Jew, who worked as a missionary among the Polish Jews. This activity was not condoned by the tsarist state, and the family Zukertort in 1855 expelled from the Russian -dominated Poland.

In the Prussian Breslau 1861 Zukertort gained on the Mary Magdalene School graduated from high school and enrolled to study medicine at the university there. Contrary to popular legends ended Zukertort his studies and never was not a PhD - persuasive evidence for this traditional Polish historian Tomasz Lissowski 2002 and Cezary W. Domański in their Polish Zukertort Biography Arcymistrz z Lublina (Warsaw 2002).

His chess merits, he won first as a student of Adolf Anderssen in Breslau, who then was considered by many as the most important players in the world. In 1871 it succeeded Zukertort to defeat his teacher in the competition. Previously, in 1867, moved to Berlin Zukertort. There he became a member of the Berlin Chess Club and took over the editorship of the New Berlin chess newspaper whose official but not a practicing chief editor Adolf Anderssen was. Finally Zukertort in 1872 took up permanent residence in London. There was a much better chance to lead an existence as a professional player.

Rivalry with Steinitz and end of life

In addition to Wilhelm Steinitz he was soon regarded as the best player in England. First, however, he lost a match against Steinitz in October 1872, 9:3 ( 7 wins, Steinitz, Zukertort 1, 4 draws ). Steinitz drew in 1875 for seven years from the practical game back, he saw no serious opponents more. Meanwhile, could continuously improve its chess skills Zukertort. At the beginning of the 1880s he was already considered clearly the best player to Steinitz. His greatest success, the superior victory in the great London tournament of 1883, he with three points ahead of Steinitz, who finished second, won, let the former chess world believe Steinitz ' claim to the " Champion of the World " was over, and this honor fees now Zukertort.

After lengthy negotiations took place in the United States financier who financed a competition for the " Championship of the World". From 11 January to 29 March 1886, the competition was ( not included outbuildings ) on 10 won games between the two in New York, St. Louis and New Orleans held. Steinitz won with 12,5:7,5 ( 10 wins, 5 losses and 5 draws) points. Zukertort, who had been warned by his doctor in front of this new effort, broke after a high lead ( 4-1 after the opening in New York) is a mentally and physically. After Steinitz was able to compensate in St. Louis to 4:4 ( in four games), he needed only eleven more games in New Orleans, to get to the required ten winning plays.

Zukertort did not recover from this collapse, and was only " a shadow of himself " ( Siegbert Tarrasch ) in the following few tournaments that he held until his brought about by a stroke death in 1888 ( during a handicap tournament in London ) played.

Zukertort opening

After a Zukertort opening system is named. It arises after the moves 1.Sg1 -f3 ( Zukertort was the first world-class player who played in the tournament practice this train, which was then considered bizarre regularly. ) 1 .. d7 -d5 2.d2 -d4 Ng8 - f6 3.e2 -e3 e7 - e6 4.b2 -b3. This is the Zukertort system which can also arise about other headways. Zukertort himself mostly developed the white -squared bishop after e2, in the modern style of play he will be more posted on d3. One of the world's best contemporary experts in this system is the Grandmaster Artur Yusupov.

Zukertort historical highest Elo rating was 2798th During the inactivity of Steinitz ( and a short time after his return ), he led the subsequently calculated rankings from August 1878 to November 1882 to September 1883 and again from July.

Games

Zukertort - Blackburne, London 1883

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