Adolf Anderssen: the king of romantic chess

There was a time when chess was, above all, spectacle: lightning attacks, impossible sacrifices, breathtakingly beautiful mates. That was romantic chess, and its undisputed king was Adolf Anderssen. A mathematics teacher by profession and a genius of the board by vocation, Anderssen produced two of the most famous games in history and reigned as the best player in the world for much of the 19th century.

Who was Anderssen

He was born on July 6, 1818 in Breslau (then part of the Kingdom of Prussia, today Wrocław, Poland). He studied mathematics and philosophy and made his living as a teacher in his hometown. Chess was his passion, and he pursued it with a dedication that carried him to the top of European chess.

His great moment came in 1851, when he won the first international tournament in history, held in London. From that triumph on, Anderssen was considered the best player in the world.

The two immortal games

Anderssen’s legacy isn’t measured only in tournaments, but in two games that have transcended time:

• The Immortal Game (1851, against Lionel Kieseritzky): a friendly game in which Anderssen sacrificed a bishop, both rooks, and the queen to deliver mate with his minor pieces. It’s the absolute peak of romantic style.
• The Evergreen Game (1852, against Jean Dufresne): another combinative gem, with a cascade of sacrifices culminating in a dazzling mate.

Both are still replayed and studied almost two centuries later. They are the DNA of attacking chess.

The bridge between two eras

Anderssen’s career is the story of the transition from romanticism to modernity. He faced the two men who would change chess forever:

• In 1858, he lost a match to the American Paul Morphy (2-7). Morphy played with the same tactical brilliance, but with far superior positional solidity. Anderssen acknowledged his rival’s superiority with grace.
• In 1866, with Morphy already retired, Anderssen lost an extremely close match (6-8) to young Wilhelm Steinitz, who was about to usher in the positional era that would bury romanticism.

Anderssen lost both duels, but he was the great rival to beat of an entire era. He died on March 13, 1879 in his native Breslau, at 60, as one of the most beloved figures in chess history.

His chess DNA

In our chess DNA system, Anderssen represents the pure romantic profile: extreme aggression, dazzling tactics, and a boldness that puts beauty above caution. If your GM twin is Anderssen, your strength is attack and combinative sacrifice; your biggest challenge is positional solidity in quiet positions, where patience matters more than brilliance.

Keep exploring

• Paul Morphy, the American genius who surpassed him in 1858
• Wilhelm Steinitz, who defeated him and ushered in the positional era
• Mikhail Tal, the modern heir to his romantic spirit
• World chess champions
• All players