Background
When the dust had settled on Steinitz' victorious clash with Zukertort in 1886, the Austrian was widely acknowledged as having reached the pinnacle of world chess and yet, there was no international organisation with whom he could register the formal title of World Champion. Neither was there any authoritative body or forum that would choose him a worthy challenger.
If Steinitz had a period of popularity, then it was short-lived. For pretty soon there was a growing number of chess players turning against him, either because of his dull, strategic method of play, or because of his personality. The public had previously championed Zukertort and before him, Morphy; two men with an abundance of charisma and fiery chessboard skills to match. In comparison, the new champion's endorsement of a passive, positional style was for many, unpalatable. Steinitz' had developed a wonderful understanding of 'attack and defence' and was able to sit back and invite his opponents to attack him. All too often they were tempted into unjustified onslaughts, which he would parry with remarkable ease, ultimately repelling the invading forces with defensive play of great dexterity. When he had the initiative, he would inflict imperceptible weaknesses on his opponent's structure, stifling their middlegame and endgame survival prospects. His methods, though successful, were unfortunately not spectacular enough to win public support and many of his critics refused to believe that swashbuckling, 'blood and guts' chess could be so readily dismissed. On occasion, Steinitz took his strategy too far, by adopting absurdly passive formations that over-stretched his defensive capabilities, or left him with insufficient opportunity for counterplay. When he lost in this manner, it renewed the faith of those who craved a return to exciting, attacking chess.
Read more about this topic: World Chess Championship 1889
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