World Chess Championship 1897

The World Chess Championship 1896 was a rematch between the new world champion Emanuel Lasker and Wilhelm Steinitz its predecessor. Lasker defended his title successfully doing.

Prehistory

Before his victory against Steinitz in world title fight in 1894 Lasker had promised, in the event of a victory to give him the same year a rematch. After the fight he wanted to do until the end of 1895 this, however. Then Steinitz said that he still considered himself to be a world champion.

In the most important chess event in 1895, the Tournament of Hastings, neither yet Steinitz, Lasker could prove as the world's best players. They arrived together with Tarrasch only a tie for third place, behind Pillsbury and Chigorin.

Only in the tournament in Nuremberg in 1896 Lasker scored a convincing tournament victory. Then a rematch for the end of the year has been agreed.

Organization and rules

It was played in Moscow. Winner should be the one who would have achieved first 10 winning plays.

Course

The match began on November 7, 1896, was for the health ailing Steinitz fiasco: He lost the first four games and was after eleven games back with 0:7. He was subsequently not win two more games, but after the 17th game on January 14, it was over.

Follow

With this victory, Lasker was recognized as undisputed world champion. The era Steinitz, however, was over. Three years later he died, half-paralyzed and completely impoverished.