World Chess Championship 1889

The World Chess Championship 1889, considered the second official World Chess Championship match, was held in Havana, Cuba. Defending champion Wilhelm Steinitz beat Russian challenger Mikhail Chigorin by a score of 10½–6½. The match consisted of a maximum of 20 games, meaning the first player to 10½ points would be crowned the victor, marking a slight deviation from the "first to ten" format of Steinitz's prior title bout in 1886.

Steinitz defeated Johannes Zukertort in 1886. At that time, however, there was no international organization recognizing the formal title of World Champion or a structured process to determine a challenger for the titleholder.

Steinitz developed a strategic approach to "attack and defense", frequently encouraging opponents to take the initiative. When in control of the position, he would create long-term positional weaknesses for his opponents, limiting their options in the middlegame and endgame. Despite his success, Steinitz's positional style was not universally appreciated, and some critics remained skeptical that aggressive, tactical play was becoming obsolete. At times, Steinitz adopted highly defensive formations that limited his counterplay opportunities and made his position more vulnerable.

After the 1886 match, a search was begun to identify a worthy challenger. The members of the Havana Chess Club invited Steinitz to play in Cuba against a challenger of his own choosing. Before 1914, the incumbent champion had the final say over the challenger, venue, and playing conditions.

Steinitz chose Mikhail Chigorin, against whom Steinitz had a poor record in previous tournament meetings. Chigorin was a player with a strong record.^{[citation needed]} The contrast in playing styles—Chigorin’s aggressive, tactical approach versus Steinitz’s positional strategy—was expected to produce a good match.

Chigorin accepted the match conditions, and the bookmakers began to take wagers on the outcome. Despite some public criticism of Steinitz’s style, betting trends suggested he was still widely regarded as the stronger player. The match was played in Havana, between January 20 and February 24, 1889. The total purse for the contestants was $1,150, the smallest prize fund of all the world championship encounters.

The match was to last a maximum of 20 games, so the winner would be the first to reach a minimum of 10½ points. In the event of a 10–10 tie, the defending champion would retain the title.

Steinitz won the match, retaining his title.