Wilhelm Steinitz was the first official World Chess Champion in 1886, when he beat Zukertort. He had probably been the best chess player in the world for a long time before then! Andersson was reckoned to be the best player before then, and Steinitz beat Andersson in a match in 1866. So he may been Champion for 28 years.
Steinitz was a brilliant attacking player who really loved the King's Gambit and other wild openings, and that was how he played for a long while.
[Event "match"] [Site "London"] [Date "1863.03.??"] [Round "1"] [White "Steinitz, Wilhelm"] [Black "Deacon, Frederic H"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C39"] [PlyCount "53"] [EventDate "1863.03.??"] [EventRounds "7"] [EventCountry "ENG"] 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. h4 g4 5. Ne5 Nf6 6. Bc4 d5 7. exd5 Bd6 8. d4 Nh5 9. Nc3 Qe7 10. Bb5+ c6 11. dxc6 bxc6 12. Nd5 Qe6 13. Nc7+ Bxc7 14. Bc4 Qe7 15. Bxf7+ Kf8 16. Bxh5 Bxe5 17. dxe5 Qxe5+ 18. Qe2 Qxh5 19. Bxf4 Bf5 20. O-O Nd7 21. Bh6+ Kf7 22. Rxf5+ Qxf5 23. Rf1 Qxf1+ 24. Qxf1+ Kg6 25. Bg5 h6 26. Qd3+ Kh5 27. Be7 1-0
But then he started to think more about why do you win, when you attack?
Is it because you attack better (maybe) or you are very clever (of course!)...?
Or is it that some attacks work because there is something in the position to start with that means it will work? We know about a lead in development, that is important in some games, but perhaps also the centre is important, or how good your pieces are...
So Steinitz began to play in a different style -- slowly building up a better position, before starting an attack. He thought you should only attack if you had an advantage, so, get an advantage first, and then your attack will work.
[Event "attack: very slow K-side attac"]
[Site "attack: very slow K-side atta"]
[Date "1876.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Steinitz, Willhelm"]
[Black "Blackburne, Joseph Henry"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C77"]
[PlyCount "67"]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 {Steinitz' first important Lopez.} a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5.
d3 d6 6. c3 Be7 7. h3 O-O 8. Qe2 Ne8 9. g4 b5 10. Bc2 Bb7 11. Nbd2 Qd7 12. Nf1
{[#] The Steinitz trademark.} Nd8 13. Ne3 Ne6 14. Nf5 g6 {[#] The moment the
dark squares are weakened, White snaps off their chief protector.} 15. Nxe7+
Qxe7 16. Be3 N8g7 17. O-O-O c5 18. d4 exd4 19. cxd4 c4 20. d5 Nc7 21. Qd2 a5
22. Bd4 f6 23. Qh6 b4 24. g5 {[#]} f5 (24... Nge8 25. h4 Qg7 26. Qxg7+ Nxg7 (
26... Kxg7 27. h5) 27. gxf6 Nh5 28. Ng5 Nxf6 29. h5 Nxh5 (29... Kg7 30. hxg6
hxg6 31. Rh7+) 30. Rxh5 gxh5 31. Rg1 $18) 25. Bf6 Qf7 26. exf5 gxf5 27. g6 Qxg6
28. Bxg7 Qxh6+ (28... Qxg7 {heroic, but} 29. Rhg1 Rf7 30. Bxf5 $18) 29. Bxh6
Rf6 30. Rhg1+ Rg6 31. Bxf5 Kf7 32. Bxg6+ hxg6 33. Ng5+ Kg8 34. Rge1 {[#]
White's domination of the centre and King's-side, and Black's failure to
achieve counterplay on the Queen's-side (or centre), have been the hallmarks
of this game.} 1-0
But just to show the old man at his best, here is a famous attack from 1895.
[Event "Hastings"]
[Site "Hastings"]
[Date "1895.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Steinitz, Willhelm"]
[Black "Von Bardeleben, C."]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "C54"]
[PlyCount "49"]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 7. Nc3 d5 8.
exd5 Nxd5 9. O-O Be6 10. Bg5 Be7 11. Bxd5 Bxd5 12. Nxd5 Qxd5 13. Bxe7 Nxe7 14.
Re1 f6 15. Qe2 {Trapping the King in the middle.} Qd7 16. Rac1 c6 17. d5 cxd5
18. Nd4 Kf7 19. Ne6 Rhc8 20. Qg4 g6 21. Ng5+ Ke8 22. Rxe7+ $3 Kf8 (22... Kxe7
23. Re1+ Kd6 24. Qb4+ Rc5 (24... Kc7 25. Ne6+ Kb8 26. Qf4+ Rc7 27. Nxc7 Qxc7
28. Re8#) (24... Kc6 25. Rc1#) 25. Re6+) 23. Rf7+ Kg8 24. Rg7+ $3 Kh8 (24...
Kxg7 25. Qxd7+) (24... Kf8 25. Nxh7+ Ke8 (25... Kxg7 26. Qxd7+) 26. Qxd7#) 25.
Rxh7+ (25. Rxh7+ Kg8 (25... Qxh7 26. Rxc8+ Rxc8 27. Qxc8+ Qg8 28. Qh3+ Kg7) 26.
Rg7+ Kf8 (26... Qxg7 27. Rxc8+) 27. Nh7+) *
He used to run a chess magazine where he explained his new approach, and is was said that he "taught us all to play chess".