Vienna 1882 chess tournament

The second international Vienna 1882 chess tournament was one of the longest and strongest chess tournaments ever played. According to the unofficial Chessmetrics ratings, the tournament was (as of March 2005) the strongest tournament in history, on the basis that nine of the ten top players in the world participated, including all of the top eight.

The Vienna Chess Society was formed in October 1857, and this tournament played from 10 May to 24 June 1882 was held on the occasion of its 25th anniversary. The main sponsors were Ignác Kolisch and the club's president Albert Salomon von Rothschild, who together donated 7500 francs to be split over the top six. Franz Joseph I of Austria was the patron of the event, who also donated a special prize of 2000 Austrian Gulden (Kaiserpreis). The time control was 15 moves per hour, with a 2-hour break after 4 hours. Games not completed after eight hours of play were adjourned to be finished on the rest day.

The tournament was played as a double round-robin tournament and suffered a number of withdrawals in the second tour. Noa withdrew after the first round of the second tour, Fleissig, Bird, Schwarz and Wittek also lost games by default. The event was won by Wilhelm Steinitz and Szymon Winawer, who decided to share the first prize after they each won a play-off game. The special prize was awarded to Zukertort for the best performance against the top three. On May 12, Steinitz drew a game with Mackenzie, thus ending the longest winning streak in chess history. Steinitz at the time had won 25 consecutive games, the last draw he conceded was nine years earlier, on August 3 in the Vienna 1873 tournament. After this Steinitz would lose three consecutive games to Zukertort, Hruby, and Ware.

Standings

Vienna 1882, Second International Chess Tournament

#	Player	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	Total
1	Template:Flagathlete	**	1½	½½	0½	½1	10	½½	11	01	1½	01	10	11	11	11	01	11	11	24.0
2	Template:Flagathlete	0½	**	00	1½	0½	10	11	10	01	1½	11	11	11	11	11	11	11	01	24.0
3	Template:Flagathlete	½½	11	**	0½	½1	½½	½½	11	11	10	01	11	½1	1½	0½	11	01	½1	23.0
4	Template:Flagathlete	1½	0½	1½	**	½½	0½	0½	11	11	00	11	01	01	11	11	11	11	01	22.5
5	Template:Flagathlete	½0	1½	½0	½½	**	10	½1	1½	½0	11	11	01	01	11	10	1½	11	11	22.5
6	Template:Flagathlete	01	01	½½	1½	01	**	½½	0½	10	01	10	11	1½	11	10	11	01	11	21.5
7	Template:Flagathlete	½½	00	½½	1½	½0	½½	**	11	½0	½½	½½	0½	½½	01	11	11	11	½1	19.5
8	Template:Flagathlete	00	01	00	00	0½	1½	00	**	½½	½1	½1	11	½1	½1	½1	11	½1	½1	18.5
9	Template:Flagathlete	10	10	00	00	½1	01	½1	½½	**	½0	01	10	½½	½½	½1	1½	½1	11	18.0
10	Template:Flagathlete	0½	0½	01	11	00	10	½½	½0	½1	**	0½	11	0½	0½	01	00	11	11	16.5
11	Template:Flagathlete	10	00	10	00	00	01	½½	½0	10	1½	**	10	½½	11	01	10	01	11	16.0
12	Template:Flagathlete	01	00	00	10	10	00	1½	00	01	00	01	**	11	00	11	1½	01	01	14.0
13	Template:Flagathlete	00	00	½0	10	10	0½	½½	½0	½½	1½	½½	00	**	½0	11	½0	01	11	14.0
14	Template:Flagathlete	00	00	0½	00	00	00	10	½0	½½	1½	00	11	½1	**	01	01	01	11	13.0
15	Template:Flagathlete	00	00	1½	00	01	01	00	½0	½0	10	10	00	00	10	**	11	½1	01	12.0
16	Template:Flagathlete	10	00	00	00	0½	00	00	00	0½	11	01	0½	½1	10	00	**	01	11	11.0
17	Template:Flagathlete	00	00	10	00	00	10	00	½0	½0	00	10	10	10	10	½0	10	**	½0	9.0
18	Template:Flagathlete	00	10	½0	10	00	00	½0	½0	00	00	00	10	00	00	10	00	½1	**	7.0

Further reading

• Alexander Sellman. 1882. Games of the Vienna tournament of 1882: A selection of the best and most brilliant games. Torsch Bros.
• Christiaan M. Bijl, (ed.), Das II. Internationale Schachmeisterturnier Wien 1882, Zürich: Edition Olms, 1984
• The complete game collection from chessgames.com