by Wilhelm Steinitz
Letters and documents
of the first world chess champion
Editorial Review: Long known as one of the greatest chess masters of the nineteenth century, William Steinitz is recognized as the first world champion. More exactly (and thanks to the efforts of the author of this book) he has been officially acknowledged as the first American world chess champion.
Luckily for chess scholars, many letters and postcards survive written by Steinitz and his associates, friends and foes. After years of research, numerous personal contacts with people on three continents, and unflagging efforts to acquire any and all known letters to and from Steinitz, the author here presents in their own words a remarkable account of Steinitz and his contemporaries in the chess world of over a century ago. Notable personalities that write or are written about include Lasker, Pillsbury, Zukertort, Bird, Blackburne, Janowski, Tschigorin and Winawer.
Each original letter, postcard, scrapbook item, newspaper or chess magazine article or other writing are described along with details of location, ownership, and circumstances of discovery.
by Andy Soltis, Gene H. McCormick
Editorial Review: This thoroughly updated and revised edition of the highly acclaimed 1986 reference work provides a definitive history of all championship events in the United States through 1995.