World Chess Championship 1896–1897

World Chess Championship 1896–1897

	Defending champion	Challenger
	Emanuel Lasker	Wilhelm Steinitz
	12½ Scores 4½
	Born 24 December 1868 27/28 years old	Born 14 May 1836 60 years old
← 1894 1907 →

The World Chess Championship 1896–1897 was a match for the World Chess Championship, contested between Emanuel Lasker and Wilhelm Steinitz. It was played in Moscow between November 6, 1896, and January 14, 1897. Lasker won by a score of 10 wins to 2 (with 5 draws), thus retaining his title.

Lasker had won the world title from Steinitz in 1894, and this was his first time defending the world title. At the Saint Petersburg 1895–96 chess tournament, Steinitz came second behind Lasker, ahead of other potential challengers Harry Nelson Pillsbury and Mikhail Chigorin. This allowed Steinitz to raise support for a rematch.^[1]

The first player to win 10 games would be champion. Lasker won by 10 games to 2, with 5 draws.

World Chess Championship Match 1897

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	Wins	Total
William Steinitz (United States)	0	0	0	0	=	0	=	=	=	0	0	1	1	0	=	0	0	2	4½
Emanuel Lasker (Germany)	1	1	1	1	=	1	=	=	=	1	1	0	0	1	=	1	1	10	12½

Steinitz–Lasker, game 17

	a	b	c	d	e	f	g	h
8									8
7									7
6									6
5									5
4									4
3									3
2									2
1									1
	a	b	c	d	e	f	g	h

Steinitz played 35.Qc3?, allowing Lasker to play 36...Bxg2! 37.Kxg2 Qc6+ 38.Re4 Rxe4 39.Rxe4 Qxe4+, winning a decisive advantage and retaining the Championship.

• Games of the match at Chessgames.com