The 6th American Chess Congress, the strongest chess tournament held until that time, was organized by world champion William Steinitz as a candidates tournament for the next World Chess Championship, however both of the tied winners refused to challenge Steinitz for the title. In round 6, James Mason and Isidor Gunsberg played the Giuoco Pianissimo.
The Irish-American James Mason learned chess in a Hungarian cafe in New York City; he would become one of the world's best half-dozen players and write popular books on chess. Isidor Gunsberg, a popular chess columnist, was the first operator of the chess automaton Mephisto; his flexible play would earn him a World Chess Championship challenge.
