Karl Ernst Adolf Anderssen (July 6, 1818 March 13, 1879) was a German chess master. He is considered to have been the world leading chess player from 1851 to 1858, and from 1861 to 1866. He was "dethroned" temporarily in 1858 by Paul Morphy, who announced his own retirement from chess in 1859, and permanently in 1866 by Wilhelm Steinitz, who dominated chess until his own defeat by Emanuel Lasker in 1894.
After his defeat by Steinitz, Anderssen became the most successful tournament player in Europe, winning over half the events he entered — including the Baden-Baden 1870 chess tournament event, which is considered comparable in the strength of its contestants to recent "super tournaments". Remarkably, Anderssen achieved most of these successes when he was over the age of 50.
He is famous even today for his brilliant sacrificial attacking play, particularly in the "Immortal Game" (1851) and the "Evergreen Game" (1852).
Anderssen was a very important figure in the development of chess problems, driving forward the transition from the "Old School" of problem composition to the elegance and complexity of modern compositions.
He was also one of the most likeable of chess masters and became an "elder statesman" of the game, to whom others turned for advice or arbitration.
Yes, Andersen was a master of mating attacks
igoregin 1 year ago