Indeed it was the most-popular move in the 19th century up until 1844, according to games in ChessBase's 2020 Mega database.
But not surprisingly, to modern eyes at least, it was gradually supplanted by 2.d4, thanks to players such as Kieseritzky, Anderssen, Falkbeer and Morphy (although Falkbeer later switched to 2.Nf3).
Once 2.d4 was generally accepted as best, the question then became how to meet 2...d5.
Popular for a long time was the Exchange Variation: 3.exd5, despite London losing with that system against Paris in the 1834 correspondence game that gave the French Defence its name (see part two of this series).
Much of the popularity of the Exchange was due to the successes Paul Morphy had with it, as I covered in the series Morphy v The French.
But gradually the consensus became that Morphy won against the French because he was Morphy, not because the Exchange was particularly powerful.
However it was not until the 1870s that 3.Nc3 really rivalled 3.exd5 and eventually took over from it.
Of the 74 games in Mega20 covering the five years from 1870-74, there are 39 with 3.Nc3, 33 with 3.exd5 and two with 3.Bd3.
There are 82 games covering the five years from 1875-79, with 3.Nc3 featuring in 47 of them compared with 27 for 3.exd5 and eight for 3.e5.
Steinitz, who at one point was more-or-less a lone voice in advocating 2.e5!?, became a leading proponent of 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3.
But the lasting legacy of Morphy could be seen in that Steinitz always met the Winawer: 3...Bb4 with 4.exd5. It was another story against the Classical: 3...Nf6.
William* Steinitz - Beniamino Vergani
Hastings 1895
French Steinitz
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5
This line of the Classical is named after Steinitz, but earlier in his career he tried 4.Bg5 and (once) 4.Bd3.
4...Nfd7 5.Nce2!?
Better known is 5.f4, with which Steinitz scored two wins and a draw in Mega20. He played the text in four games, winning them all. The idea is to free the c3 square so the d4 pawn can be supported by a pawn in the likely event of Black playing ...c5.
5...c5 6.c3 cxd4
Much more popular today is 6...Nc6, but the text has been played by Ivanchuk and Short.
7.cxd4 Nc6 8.f4 Bb4+ 9.Nc3
This may have been a novelty. Chigorin and Tarrasch had earlier reached the position after 8...Bb4+ and played 9.Bd2.
9...0-0 10.Nf3 f6 11.a3 Bxc3+ 12.bxc3 a6?!
This looks rather irrelevant to what is going on elsewhere on the board, and does Black's light-square bishop no favours. Komodo11.01 suggests trying to keep lines closed with 12...f5, while Stockfish11 likes 12...Nb6, aiming for the c4 square. Both engines reckon White is in any case better.
13.a4 Na5 14.Bd3 Qc7 15.Qc2 f5
 |
| How should White proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
16.g4
There are plenty of other good moves, but Steinitz's choice illustrates the downside to Black completely closing the centre - Steinitz now feels his king will be perfectly safe standing pat, leaving the king's rook to pressurise along the h file.
16...g6?
This maintains material equality but a better way to do this is 16...Nb6 as the text gives White another target on the kingside.
17.gxf5 exf5
17...gxf5?! opens a file to the black king and so speeds White's attack.
18.h4
White has a kingside attack, with the insurance of a protected passed e pawn in the event of an endgame.
18...Nb6 19.h5 Kg7 20.hxg6 h6
Keeping lines closed in front of the king is Black's best hope, but he is already busted.
21.Qh2 Rh8 22.Qh4 Qd8 23.Ba3 Nc6 24.Qh5 Nc4 25.Nh4!? Nxa3 26.Nxf5+!?
Simpler is 26.Rxa3, but the text also wins.
26...Bxf5 27.Qxf5 Qf8 28.Qd7+ Qe7 29.Qxd5 Rad8 30.Qb3
White regains his piece and will emerge pawns to the good.
30...Rhf8 31.Qxa3 Qxa3 32.Rxa3 Rxf4
The complications are over, and White has emerged two pawns up. The remaining moves were:
33.Ke2 Ne7 34.Rb1 Rd7 35.Rab3 Nd5 36.c4 Rxd4!? 37.cxd5 R4xd5 38.Rxb7 Rxd3 39.e6 Rd2+ 40.Ke1 Rd1+ 41.Rxd1 1-0
*Steinitz changed his first name from Wilhelm to William as part of the process of becoming a US citizen.
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