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| Anderssen's life bridges the chasm from the isolated, localized chess activity of the early 19th century to modern international tournament play. When he began, there were no tournaments, no clocks, virtually no chess magazines, not even clearly established rules; when he died, master chess, though still relatively young, had already begun its march forward to the place it occupies in modern society. |
| From the age
of nine, when his father taught him the moves, chess was Anderssen's major
interest. Breslau, where he was born on July 6, 1818, was one of the most
flourishing centers in Germany, the most vital chess stimulant of the last
century. The local worthies were no great masters, but they were tough
competitive.
And visiting celebrities -- Bledow, von der Lasa, Mayet, Loewenthal, among others -- were frequent. |
| Anderssen first became prominent as a problem composer. In 1842, a collection of his problems was published, although he was scarcely known as a player at that time. Those were the days before international tournaments, and reputations were not easy to establish. Anderssen rose to fame by challenging and beating everybody and anybody he could lay hands on. By 1846, when chess magazines were first issued in Germany, he was a contributing editor to the Deutsche Schachzeitung and one of the leading masters in the country; by 1851, he was recognized as the best. Since the days of Philidor, French and English players had dominated the chess world. Then came London 1851, the beginning of modern chess. An international chess congress in conjunction with the exposition was held in London that year. Anderssen won first prize in splendid style and he was universally acclaimed as the world's leading master. Though the title was not in use, he undoubtelly was the first world champion in modern times. |
| From 1851 to
his death on March 13, 1878, Anderssen played chess whenever and wherever
he could get a chance. Though he lost to his two great rivals, Morphy
(in 1858) and Steinitz (in 1866), to the end of his days, Anderssen remained
one of the two or three best in the world.
("Photo was a reproduction of postcard
sent by Marshall to
his wife" -- original note from Paul Little's chess scrapbook.) Cf. Chess Review, December,
1944, from the Clipp-
ings in Paul Little's Chess Scrapbooks, (Box I, v.2. ) |
