Robert Steel (1839–1903)[1] was a notable businessman and internationally renowned chess player, originally from Liverpool.
[2] The London Daily News similarly called Steel "the foremost player in India".
[3] Steel is credited with many efforts to popularise chess in India (ironically, the country where the game was initially born).
Steel was further joint winner of India's first round-robin chess tournament in Calcutta, held in 1878.
[6] Steel played with and against many well-known players of his era, such as James Mason, Joseph Henry Blackburne, Johannes Zukertort and Leopold Hoffer.