Hastings Chess Congress 1895
The "Tournament of the Century"
Tournament Overview
- Date: August 5 - September 2, 1895
- Location: Hastings, England
- Format: Double round-robin
- Participants: 22 players
- Winner: Harry Nelson Pillsbury (USA)
Historical Significance
Hastings 1895 is considered a turning point in chess history. For the first time, all the world's leading players competed together - a sensation for that era. The tournament became the model for all subsequent major tournaments.
The young American Harry Nelson Pillsbury surprised the chess world with his victory ahead of the established masters Chigorin and Lasker. The aging World Champion Wilhelm Steinitz also participated, showing that his era was slowly coming to an end.
The Field of Competitors
An unprecedented gathering of the chess elite:
- Harry Nelson Pillsbury (USA) - Winner
- Mikhail Chigorin (RUS) - 2nd place
- Emanuel Lasker (GER) - 3rd place
- Siegbert Tarrasch (GER) - 4th place
- Wilhelm Steinitz (AUT) - 5th place
- Carl Schlechter (AUT)
- Dawid Janowski (POL)
- Isidor Gunsberg (AUT)
- Joseph Henry Blackburne (ENG)
- Henry Edward Bird (ENG)
- Amos Burn (ENG)
- Jacques Mieses (GER) - 13th place
Mieses' Performance
Result: 13th Place
10.5 points from 42 games (25%)
For the 30-year-old Jacques Mieses, Hastings was an important test on the international stage. Against the assembled world elite, he achieved a respectable mid-table result. His victories against the English veterans Bird and Blackburne particularly demonstrated his potential.
Mieses' Games from Hastings 1895
Bird - Mieses 0-1
Jacques Mieses defeats the 64-year-old English master Henry Edward Bird in a tactically sharp game.
View GameMore games from this tournament are currently being digitized and will be available soon.
Game from this Tournament
Experience a game by Mieses from this tournament with our interactive chess viewer:
View Bird vs. MiesesHastings 1946 - 50 Years Later
Over 50 years after his first appearance at Hastings, Mieses returned and won the brilliancy prize at age 80:
View Mieses vs. ChristoffelSources and Literature
- Hooper, David & Whyld, Kenneth: The Oxford Companion to Chess, Oxford University Press, 1992
- Winter, Edward: Chess Notes - Articles about Hastings 1895
- Tournament reports in Deutsche Schachzeitung, 1895