| Ruy López de Segura | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Rodrigo López de Segura |
| Country | Spain |
| Born | c. 1530 Zafra |
| Died | c. 1580 (aged c. 50) |
Rodrigo (Ruy) López de Segura (c. 1530 – c. 1580) was a Spanish priest and later bishop in Segura whose 1561 book Libro de la invención liberal y arte del juego del Axedrez was one of the first definitive books about modern chess in Europe, only after Pedro Damiano's 1512 book.
He was born in Zafra near Badajoz, probably of Converso 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. In 1574-75 he lost matches to Leonardo di Bona, a Roman lawyer, and to Paolo Boi.
| This section uses algebraic notation to describe chess moves. |
Some chess openings are named after Lopez. The Ruy Lopez Opening (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5) is named after him, as is a variation in the Petroff Defence (1.e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 Qe7).