Ruy López de Segura

Rodrigo López de Segura, known as Ruy López, was born around 1530 in Zafra, Spain. He became a central figure in Renaissance chess, when theory for the modern form of the game was still taking shape.

In 1561 he published Libro de la invención liberal y arte del juego del axedrez. It is a landmark of Renaissance chess literature and gives particular attention to openings, the first moves of a game and the initial contest for development and central control.

Many players first encounter his name through the Ruy Lopez, also called the Spanish Opening. The historical person and his book, however, have importance of their own. Parts of his biography remain under active research, and recent scholarship has challenged traditional stories about meetings between Spanish and Italian masters in the sixteenth century. Documented facts should therefore be kept separate from familiar but weakly supported legends.