Although these tournaments took place before there was an official world championship, many people considered the results of this tournament to be decisive of the world champion.
14 players, double round robin. Draws only counted if players drew 3 games in a row. Zukertort won 22-4.
| J. Mortimer | A. Skipworth | A. Sellman | J. Noa | H. Bird | S. Winawer | S. Rosenthal | B. Englisch | G. Mackenzie | J. Mason | M. Chigorin | J. Blackburne | W. Steinitz |
Johannes Zukertort (Germany) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Wilhelm Steinitz (England) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Joseph H. Blackburne (England) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Mikhail Chigorin (Russia) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
James Mason (Ireland) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
George H. Mackenzie (United States) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Berthold Englisch (Austria-Hungary) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Samuel Rosenthal (France) | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Szymon Winawer (Russia) | | | | | | | | | | | |
Henry E. Bird (England) | | | | | | | | | |
Josef Noa (Austria-Hungary) | | | | | | | |
Alexander Sellman (United States) | | | | | |
Arthur Skipworth (England) | | | |
James Mortimer (England) | |