Adolf Anderssen
Biography
Karl Ernst Adolf Anderssen was born on July 6, 1818, in Breslau, Prussia (now Wroclaw, Poland). A mathematics professor by profession, Anderssen was the strongest player in the world during the 1850s and early 1860s.
Anderssen burst onto the international scene by winning the London 1851 tournament, the first international chess tournament ever held. He defeated Lionel Kieseritzky, Jozsef Szen, Howard Staunton, and Marmaduke Wyvill to take first prize. During this tournament, between rounds, he played the Immortal Game against Kieseritzky and the Evergreen Game against Dufresne the following year.
After Morphy dismantled him in 1858 (+7 =2 -2), Anderssen worked on his game and came back stronger. He won the London 1862 tournament convincingly. In 1866, he lost a close match to Wilhelm Steinitz (+6 =0 -8), a result that marked the transition from Romantic to positional chess.
Anderssen remained a dangerous tournament player into the 1870s, winning Baden-Baden 1870 (ahead of Steinitz) and finishing strong in several major events. He died on March 13, 1879, in his native Breslau.
Though overshadowed by Morphy and then Steinitz, Anderssen was a pivotal figure who bridged the Romantic and Classical eras. His attacking games remain among the most celebrated in chess literature.
Playing Style
Anderssen was the quintessential Romantic-era player: bold, attacking, willing to sacrifice material for initiative. The Immortal Game and Evergreen Game define his style: brilliant sacrifices, imaginative combinations, and a relentless drive toward the enemy king. But this view is incomplete. After his loss to Morphy, Anderssen developed a more positional side to his game, showing he could play strategically when needed. His later tournament victories demonstrated versatility beyond pure tactics.
Legacy
Anderssen produced two of the most famous games in chess history (the Immortal Game and the Evergreen Game). He won the first international tournament (London 1851) and remained at the top for two decades. His games are still studied as models of attacking play. The Anderssen Opening (1.a3) bears his name, though it was never a serious part of his repertoire.
Key Results
- ♦London 1851: 1st place (first international tournament)
- ♦London 1862: 1st place
- ♦Baden-Baden 1870: 1st place (ahead of Steinitz)
- ♦Match vs Morphy, Paris 1858: Lost 2-7
- ♦Match vs Steinitz, 1866: Lost 6-8
- ♦Immortal Game vs Kieseritzky, 1851
- ♦Evergreen Game vs Dufresne, 1852