Hastings 1895

The chess club of the English coastal town of Hastings was founded in 1882 and in 1895 the club organized a tournament that was the strongest ever held up to that time. Taking place over the month of August, it included all the leading players of the day.

Hasting 1895 is the starting point of a tradition that continues today! However, it could never equal the level of the first edition, where without exception the best chess players of the moment took part. Crowning the event, to the surprise of many, was the American rookie Harry Nelson Pillsbury. The favorites were Lasker, Steinitz, Tarrasch and Chigorin; also among the participants were the veterans Blackburne and Bird and the young masters Janowski, Schlechter, Teichmann and Walbrodt.

The tournament was memorable for a number of masterpieces created and a very exciting finish with the lead changing hands in the last three rounds. The spectacular last round, where all prizes remained up for grabs, witnessed one of the most exciting photo finishes in the history of chess tournaments. Hastings 1895 might be the greatest chess tournament in the history, only comparable with Zurich 1953 and …

It is said this was Polugaesvky's favorite tournament and also from this tournament came Mikhail Tal's favorite game. Which one do you think it is? Of course! The famous game of Steinitz vs. Bardeleben, played on August 17, exactly sixteen years before the birth of the sixth chess world champion!

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