Johannes Zukertort
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Johannes Hermann Zukertort (7 September 1842 Lublin – 20 June 1888 London) was a leading German Polish-Jewish origin chess master.
[edit] Life
In 1861, he enrolled at the University of Breslau to study medicine, but he never qualified. However, in Breslau he met the leading chess player Adolf Anderssen and studied with him, finally defeating him in a match in 1871. In 1867 he moved to Berlin and in 1872 to London. In that year, he played Wilhelm Steinitz in London, losing 9-3.
He excelled at playing while blindfolded. In 1876, he played sixteen games simultaneously while blindfolded, winning twelve and losing only one.
In 1878, he won the international tournament in Paris. In 1883, he won the international tournament in London, defeating nearly every leading player in the world. Steinitz was second. After this, Zukertort was widely regarded as the unofficial the World Champion.
From 11 January to 29 March 1886 he played what is generally regarded as the first official World Championship match against Steinitz, losing 12½-7½. The matches were played in the United States, in New York, St. Louis and New Orleans. After this defeat, Zukertort's health suffered and he was a greatly weakened player for the remaining two years of his life.
It is said that Steinitz and Zukertort, present at the same dinner party, both rose in response to a toast to the "greatest chess-player in the world".
[edit] Notable chess games
- Johannes Zukertort vs NN, Leipzig - 1877, Vienna Game: Vienna Gambit (C26), 1-0 White sacrifices the queen and hunts the Black king to death. In the final position, 17. Bf4 mate is unavoidable.
- Mikhail Chigorin vs Johannes Zukertort, Tnmt, London 1883, Spanish Game: Berlin Defense. Rio de Janeiro Variation (C67), 0-1 Two strong central pawns against the White king
