`  :``Steinitz is generally considered to have been World Champion for 28 years.`` Not true; this is a controversial matter. From the Wilhelm Steinitz article:There is a long-running debate among chess writers about whether Steinitz' reign as World Chess Champion began in 1866, when he beat Anderssen, or in 1886, when he beat Zukertort.[25][36] In April 1894 the British Chess Magazine described Steinitz as holding ``the chess championship of the world for 28 years``.[37] However there is no evidence that he claimed the title for himself in 1866, although in the 1880s he claimed to have been the champion since his win over Anderssen.[38] It has been suggested that Steinitz could not make such a claim while Paul Morphy was alive.[39] – Morphy had defeated Anderssen by a far wider margin, 8–3, in 1858, but retired from chess competition soon after he returned to the USA in 1859, and died in 1884. The 1886 Steinitz-Zukertort match was the first that was explicitly described as being for the World Championship   `