Ruy Lopez De Segura

Almost every chess player knows the name Ruy Lopez de Segura thanks to the opening, a.k.a. the Spanish Game, that bears his name. Lopez himself was a 16th-century Spanish priest and member of the Spanish royal court who also wrote Libro de la invencion liberal y arte del juego del axedrez.

As a player, Lopez was one of Spain’s best by acclamation, but very few of his games survive.

In addition to his recommendation of 3. Bb5 after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6, Lopez’s book is known for his advice of setting up the board such that the sun shines in your opponent’s face—perhaps not the most befitting tactic for a priest! Libro de la invencion was also critical of the work of Pedro Damiano, who preceded Lopez by about half a century.