The first crown

Wilhelm Steinitz vs Johannes Zukertort

World championship · 1886 · 1-0

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The story behind the moves

A masterpiece, move by move

The final game of the first official world championship. Steinitz’s exposed king survives while his pieces trap the black queen.

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6. Ke2

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A king in the center. Steinitz answers the queen check by moving his king. He gives up castling rights; from here, piece activity and concrete threats matter more than a conventional king shelter.

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17. Rxh6

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Remove the defender. The rook takes the knight on h6. After the g-pawn recaptures, White has cleared the way for a knight check on f6. Follow the next two moves to see the point.

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18. Nxf6+

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A royal fork. The knight on f6 checks the king on e8 and attacks the queen on g4. Black must answer the check before White captures the queen.