Master Class Band 19: Wilhelm Steinitz

by ChessBase
10/16/2025 – Wilhelm Steinitz, born in Prague in 1836, is regarded as the first official World Chess Champion after winning the historic 1886 match against Johannes Zukertort. He founded modern chess theory by replacing romantic, attacking chess with strategic and positional thinking, formulating numerous principles that still shape the game today. The Master Class, featuring four international experts, presents his most important openings, strategic ideas, endgames, and combinations through engaging video lessons.
In this video course experts examine the games of Steinitz. Let them show you which openings Steinitz chose, where his strength in middlegames were, how he outplayed his opponents in the endgame & you’ll get a glimpse of his tactical abilities!
Williams Steinitz, 1st World Chess Champion (1886-1894) The match between William Steinitz and Johannes Zukertort in 1886 was the first chess match for the ‘World Chess Championship’. Steinitz won, and has since been considered the first official world champion in chess history.
Free video sample: The Steinitzian method of restriction
Free video sample: Strategy Introduction

Master Class Band 19: Wilhelm Steinitz

by Dorian Rogozenco, Dr. Karsten Müller, Mihail Marin, Oliver Reeh

The match between William Steinitz and Johannes Zukertort in 1886 was the first chess match for the ‘World Chess Championship’. Steinitz won, and has since been considered the first official world champion in chess history.

Free video sample: The Steinitzian method of restriction

Free video sample: Strategy Introduction

In 1894, he lost the title in a match against Emanuel Lasker. William Steinitz, born in 1836 in the ghetto of Prague, then Austria, came to Vienna in 1858, and soon became one of the best chess players in the city. In 1862, he moved to the chess stronghold of London and made a name for himself by defeating the other top players of the world in competitions.

Steinitz is considered the founder of modern chess theory. He analysed master games, formulated rules and laid the foundations for the modern strategic-positional school of chess, which replaced the ‘romantic’ style, characterised by stormy attacks on the king. William Steinitz was not only a prolific player, but also a prolific writer.

He wrote a chess column in ‘The Field’ in London. After moving to the USA, he published the chess magazines ‘The International Chess Magazine’ and ‘The Modern Chess Instructor’. In opening theory, variations in the Spanish Game, the Scotch Game and the French Defence are named after Steinitz.

In this video course, experts including Dorian Rogozenco, Mihail Marin, Karsten Müller and Oliver Reeh, examine the games of William Steinitz. Let them show you which openings Steinitz chose to play, where his strength in middlegames were, or how he outplayed his opponents in the endgame. Finally, you’ll get a glimpse of his tactical abilities in the Tactics section.

Run time: 8 hours

In this video course experts examine the games of Steinitz. Let them show you which openings Steinitz chose, where his strength in middlegames were, how he outplayed his opponents in the endgame & you’ll get a glimpse of his tactical abilities!
Williams Steinitz, 1st World Chess Champion (1886-1894) The match between William Steinitz and Johannes Zukertort in 1886 was the first chess match for the ‘World Chess Championship’. Steinitz won, and has since been considered the first official world champion in chess history.
Free video sample: The Steinitzian method of restriction
Free video sample: Strategy Introduction

Links:

<< US Championships Round 4: Anna Sargsyan one point ahead
Chess Endgame Challenge >>
Topics: ChessBase Training, Master Class Serie, Wilhelm Steinitz
Reports about chess: tournaments, championships, portraits, interviews, World Championships, product launches and more.
Discussion and Feedback Submit your feedback to the editors

See also

Victor Bologan - 1...d6 universal - Minimal Prep & 1.e4 the lazy way

9/18/2025 – Victor Bologan’s Chess Academy Vol. 3 & 4 offers a complete, low-maintenance repertoire for both White and Black, built on the philosophy of his legendary coach Chebanenko: focus on understanding typical pawn structures and recurring piece setups rather than memorising endless theory. For Black, Bologan recommends the universal 1…d6 system, leading to flexible Philidor-style positions against 1.e4 and solid setups against 1.d4, emphasizing resilience and strategic clarity. For White, the repertoire begins with 1.e4 followed by d3, using quiet but powerful systems like the King’s Indian Attack, Closed Sicilian ideas, and anti-Caro-Kann setups—practical approaches that avoid heavy theory while still being played successfully at the highest level.
More...
 1

See also

Lubomir Ftacnik: Fundamentals of Positional Play and Strategy

9/5/2025 – Grandmaster Lubomir Ftacnik presents a personal chess course that draws on his decades of playing at the top level and later experience as a coach, aiming to teach what he now understands more deeply than during his competitive career. Instead of overwhelming students with the endless information available in databases, he focuses on highlighting the most important principles—how to evaluate positions, avoid common mistakes, and understand underlying features of the game. The course covers key aspects of openings, middlegames, and endgames, always stressing practical understanding to help players make better decisions at the board.
More...
 1

Video

60m English Anti-Bayonet

King’s Indian fans who choose the Mar del Plata attack (7...Nc6) against White’s classical system (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.0-0) usually aim for a complex position with mutual attacks on open wings, requiring long-term strategic planning and tactical sharpness in critical moments. Computers often do not know how to handle the arising complex strategic positions, which suits players who like to think on their own instead of memorizing long variations. However, the fashionable Bayonet Attack (9.b4) interferes with Black’s ideas. After Black’s main move 9...Nh5 the positions opens, the lines get forced and computer analysis is important again. But this DVD offers an antidote against White’s Bayonet Attack, namely 9...a5! This move leads to sound positions with very few concrete lines, in which the focus is on strategy not on tactics. Objectively chances are equal but if Black knows what to do things might quickly become dangerous for White.