I have never in my life played the French Defence, which is the dullest of all openings.

Most notably from 1888 to 1889 he co-operated with the American Chess Congress in a project to define rules governing the conduct of future world championships. His new style was controversial and some even branded it as "cowardly" but many of Steinitz's games showed that it could also set up attacks as ferocious as those of the old school. Steinitz was also a prolific writer on chess and defended his new ideas vigorously.