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Saturday, April 29, 2017

Just An Evans Gambit

     Anderssen's opponent in this game was Johannes Zukertort (September 7, 1842 – June 20, 1888) of Poland, who was one of the leading players during the 1870s and 1880s. He lost a match to Wilhelm Steinitz in 1886 in what was generally regarded as the first World Championship match. He was also defeated by Steinitz in 1872 in an unofficial championship. 
     Zukertort became a naturalized citizen of the United Kingdom in 1878. Beside chess, Zukertort had many other achievements as a soldier, musician, linguist, journalist and political activist.  
     Zukertort is widely believed to have embellished his biography. In an account of his life he claimed aristocratic descent, fluency in at least nine languages, proficiency in swordsmanship, dominoes and whist.  He said he had played 6,000 games of chess with Adolf Anderssen, fought in numerous battles and was awarded seven medals. He also got a medical doctor's degree at Breslau in 1865 and worked on the staff of Bismarck's newspaper, the Allgemeine Zeitung. He also laid claim to writing two chess books and working as the editor of a chess magazine for several years. There is some truth to the latter: he was co-author of the books, co-editor of a chess magazine. 
     It is claimed Zukertort died in London from a cerebral hemorrhage after playing a game in a tournament Simpson's Divan, which he was leading at the time. He is buried in Brompton Cemetery in London. 
     As you know, Anderssen was a mighty man with the Evans Gambit and this game was one of many mighty feats he performed with it. 

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