Adolf Anderssen

Adolf Anderssen (1818-1879) was a German master and teacher who became a central figure in chess before the official World Championship. His victory at London 1851 brought international recognition. He is now especially remembered for the Immortal and Evergreen Games, but results across several decades reveal a competitive career much broader than those two combinations.

Winning before a championship cycle existed

The London international tournament of 1851, promoted by Howard Staunton, brought together unusually strong opposition for the period. Anderssen won and was subsequently regarded by many as the world's strongest player. There was no international federation organising qualification or a world title with its later formal continuity. Such assessments depended on major encounters and recognition by other masters.

He lost his 1858 match against Paul Morphy decisively, but remained among the leading players. He won London again in 1862 and Baden-Baden in 1870, when already over fifty. He also lost a match against Steinitz in 1866. This career crosses generations and corrects the mistaken impression that losing to Morphy ended his importance.

The Immortal and Evergreen Games

The Immortal Game, against Lionel Kieseritzky in London in 1851, was an informal encounter rather than one of the games deciding the tournament. It became famous for an attack in which Anderssen allowed major material losses to coordinate checkmate. The instructive question is how his remaining pieces occupied the decisive squares and left the king without useful replies.

The Evergreen Game, against Jean Dufresne in 1852, offers another introduction to his combinative imagination. Sacrifices open lines and maintain threats that prevent the defender from exploiting extra material. Both games carry commemorative names. Those names are neither a scientific evaluation of every move nor a guarantee that all possible defences were already losing from the outset.

What his attacks teach

Anderssen represents the Romantic school, associated with open play and sacrifices. A useful sacrifice may divert a defender, open a diagonal, or gain the time needed to introduce another piece. Its value depends on its consequences. If the opponent can return some material, exchange attacking pieces, or escape with the king, the combination must be reconsidered.

His games are therefore best studied from the position before the brilliant move. Locate the vulnerable king, identify blocked lines, and calculate what happens if the opponent declines the sacrifice. This last question matters: a spectacular move may be extremely difficult to answer in practice without forcing victory against every defence.

A competitive legacy too

His work as a teacher and problem composer provides context for his interest in geometry and precise sequences, though it does not automatically explain every over-the-board decision. His legacy combines tactical beauty with competitive durability. Studying only the mates gives an incomplete picture. Comparing his victories with the matches against Morphy and Steinitz shows changing demands in development, defence, and planning during the middle of the nineteenth century.

Annotated games

• Immortal Game
• Evergreen Game