Furthermore, Steinitz enjoyed (and still enjoys) the reputation as the founder of the general positional school, the basic principals of which have not lost their unrestricted validity until today. Applying them, Steinitz was far superior to his contemporaries in practical play.

Thorsten Heedt’s biography features a comprehensive portrait of the first world champion. An important part are of course the stations of his life – Prague, Vienna, London and finally (Philadelphia as well as New York) are the places where Steinitz settled down.

Naturally, also his 5 matches for the world championship are duly covered. Short texts about “appearance and constitution” as well as “character and manners” complete the picture of the first world champion.