| Ruy López de Segura | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Rodrigo López de Segura |
| Country |  Spain |
| Born | c. 1540 |
| Died | c. 1580 (aged c. 40) |
Rodrigo (Ruy) López de Segura (c. 1540 – 1580) was a Spanish priest and later bishop in Segura whose book Libro de la invención liberal y arte del juego del Axedrez was one of the first fundamental chess books in Europe, only after Pedro Damiano's.
He was born in Zafra near Badajoz, probably of Marrano Jewish descent, and he studied and lived in Salamanca. Considered by many to be the first unofficial world chess champion, as he won the first modern chess tournament in Madrid. He would later lose the title to Leonardo di Bona, a Roman lawyer.
The Ruy Lopez Opening is named after him, as is the variation in the Petroff Defence 1.e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 Qe7.
References in popular culture
- The They Might Be Giants song 'Rest Awhile' includes the line I became friendly with Ruy Lopez, the author of works on chess
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