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Steinitz—Chigorin, Havana 1889 A World Championship Match or Not ? Anders Thulin, Malmö 2009-03-31 Abstract introduction to the analyses of the games of the match, and is probably where claim of world A close reading of contemporary press records championship status for the match originates. suggests that the Steinitz-Chigorin match in The preface of the Modern Chess Instructor is Havana, 1899 was not for the World Champi- dated May, 1889, i.e. within a few months of onship title as usually claimed. the match, and as Steinitz writes about a recent event that he was closely involved with, there is no obvious reason to suspect that it may be Introduction wrong in any important respect. However, when Steinitz’ earlier writings are “In the early part of 1888 Mr. Steinitz visit- examined, some inconsistencies with this ac- ed Havana, in consequence of an invita- count need to be considered. tion from the hospitable Chess Club of that city to give some Chess exhibitions and to play matches and off-hand games against The Match with Chigorin the Cuban Champion, Judge Golmayo; the Mexican Champion, Senor Vasquez, Con- “The idea to arrange this affair was already sul General of Mexico; Senores Carvajal, suggested in the early part [of 1888] during Ponce and other prominent players. The the visit of Mr. Steinitz to Havana. A simi- members of the Havana Chess Club, who lar contest was then proposed between him are most enthusiastic and liberal patrons of and Captain Mackenzie, who was also a the game, made on this occasion the offer guest of the Havana Chess Club at the time, to Mr. Steinitz to provide the stakes and to but the latter gentleman absolutely de- defray all the expenses of a match for the clined the offers made to him for that pur- championship of the world to be held under pose. The members of the Havana Chess the auspices of that society against any op- Club, with their usual generosity, thereupon ponent whom the visitor would accept. Mr. proposed to make arrangements for a com- Steinitz accepted the handsome offer on bat during the next winter season against condition that the contest should consist of any first-class player whom Mr. Steinitz a limited number of games, [...]. He select- would select, and the latter having chosen ed for his opponent the Russian master, Mr. Mr. Tschigorin, it was agreed by the Ha- Tschigorin with whom he had played on vana Chess Club to authorize an invitation two previous occasions.” to the Russian master, on the distinct con- —Steinitz: Modern Chess Instructor, p. 162. dition that it should not be regarded as a challenge on the part of Mr. Steinitz.” —International Chess Magazine, This quotation is taken from Steinitz’ vol. ii, p. 356 (Dec. 1888) 1 Steinitz—Chigorin, Havana 1889 The full account is given on p. 355–357 in the between Steinitz, and Tchigorin of St. same volume (with an earlier mention on p. 334– Petersburg, in January next, whilst Capt. 335). There is also a brief note from Steinitz’ visit Mackenzie is engaged to play matches with to Havana in February-March the same year (p. Golmayo, Vasquez, and Carvajal, in Decem- 44–45 and 81–82), in which the plan for a match ber.” —The Chess-Monthly, with Mackenzie is mentioned. vol. x, p. 103 (Dec. 1889) In none of these pages is there any suggestion that the planned match with Chigorin would be for the world championship title as the al- In Deutsche Schachzeitung vol. 43, p. 374 (Dec. ready quoted passage from Modern Chess In- 1888), there is only a brief mention that Steinitz structor says. and Chigorin would play a match in January or There is a suggestion that Steinitz may have February 1889. regarded the contest as of somewhat less impor- In none of these further accounts is there tance than the match against Zukertort: any indication that these games actually were played for the title of the world chess cham- “The contest will otherwise [apart from pionship. This is another unusual point: what the stakes] be regulated by the same condi- reason could there be for not advertising such a tions as the last championship match be- match as widely as possible? tween Steinitz and Zukertort. It should, One answer might be that there was no need however, be remembered that a limited for the contestants to advertise it, as the Havana number of games cannot be considered such Chess Club already had agreed to pay for the a sure test as a match, if only for the reason match. This is not entirely satisfactory: surely that either party who happens to be consid- the players would want to draw public attention erably ahead in the score may systematically to the event. It also seems unlikely that the ar- play for draws and this is great odds in the rangers would not try to recoup at least some of hands of a fine player. Yet even such a limit- the costs in form of admittance to the match, for ed direct trial of skill, if consisting of a large which even limited advertising would be ben- number of games as on the present occasion, eficial. is in our opinion a more accurate measure A second possibility could be that the match of relative skill than a tournament [...]” was not originally planned to be for the World —International Chess Magazine, Championship title, but evolved into one so late vol. ii, p. 356 (Dec. 1888) that it was not mentioned in the cited sources. The Havana Chess Club started a short-lived chess periodical to cover the match: La Revista Though these points cannot, on their own, be de Ajedrez (9 issues, 40 pages, January 1–Feb- taken as proof of non-championship status for ruary 27, 1889). Once the match was over, the the match, they raise the question why this ‘con- publication was closed, although it was resur- test’ should have been different, and in particu- rected as a monthly journal later the same year. lar, arranged to a lower standard than that of the In this publication, the following statement can match against Zukertort. There seems to be no be found: information given on this particular point: per- haps it was for economical reasons. “Las condiciones aceptadas por los Sres. (It may be also of some interest to note that Steinitz y Tchigorin, para venir á esta ciu- Steinitz avoids using the term ‘match’ both here dad con el objeto de jugar la serie de par- and elsewhere: it seems he preferred to use that tidas, que ha de discernir al vencedor, si term for contests for a set number of wins, rath- no de derecho (por no haberse extipu- er than a set number of games.) lado así de un modo expreso) al menos The Chess-Monthly mentions the match: de hecho, el rango de campeón del mun- do ajedrecista, son las siguientes: [...]” “From information received from Mr. —Revista de Ajedrez, vol. i, p. 8 (Jan. 3, 1889) A. Moliner, of Havannah, we learn that a match, or series of twenty games, will be played at the Havannah Chess Club which may be translated as: 2 Steinitz—Chigorin, Havana 1889 “The conditions accepted by Mr. Steinitz and and to be incorporated in the Book of the Tchigorin, in coming to this city with the pur- Congress.” —International Chess Magazine, pose of playing a match to decide the win- vol. iii, p. 3 (Jan. 1887) ner of the rank of world chess champion, if not formally (by not having stipulated it ex- pressly), at least informally, are as follows: [...]” The programme was signed by the Corre- sponding Committee of the congress: W.W. This passage seems to say that the match was Ellsworth, C. Schubert and W. Steinitz. (The not formally for the title. (I have not been able to programme is also reprinted in the tournament find a retraction or correction of this statement), book.) and so indicates that there were no last-minute In the same issue of ICM, Steinitz gives his modifications of the programme. personal comments: But as we have already seen, Steinitz, just a few months later, clearly indicates that it was “[...] I know I am not fit to be the champi- a title match. on, and I am not likely to bear that title for Before any attempt is made to reconcile these ever. Therefore let us select a better one, and apparently contradictory statements, it should whoever it may be, I shall cheerfully say to be noted that a closer study of other materi- him, like the old soldier: al from the time seems to support the Havana ‘Mein Sohn, hier hast du meinen Speer, Chess Club: at the time of the match with Chig- Meinem Arm wird er zu schwer.’ orin the World Champion title was no longer in Steinitz’ hands, and so could not easily be put (My son, here you have my spear, it be- up for contest. comes too heavy for my arm.) [...]” —International Chess Magazine, vol. iii, p. 23 (Jan. 1887) The Sixth American Chess Congress, This leaves little doubt that Steinitz decided New York 1889 to allow the 6th Congress to include a contest for the title of world chess champion. More than a year before Steinitz’ visit to Ha- The Chess-Monthly also reprinted the pro- vana in 1888, when the first plans for what gramme (vol. xiii, p. 165 (Feb., 1887)), but viewed would become the match against Chigorin the proposal as unlikely to reach fulfilment, and were made, the next chess world champion- so did not comment on details.

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