Table of Contents

Foreword Andrew Soltis xv

Acknowledgments xii

Introduction 1

The Book of the Liberat Invention and Art of the Game of Chess 15

The King 16

Ruy López of Segura's Epistle Nuncupatory 17

Book I

1 In which the game of chess as a game of science and mathematical invention is addressed 23

2 In which the game of chess and laudable pastime, which is not just an indulgence but is necessary for the conservation of human life, is addressed 27

3 In which the identity of the inventor of this game is identified 30

4 In which when and where this game was invented is explained 32

5 In which the reason that the game was invented is explained 33

6 In which the reasons there were sixty-four squares, a square board, and elevated sides for the game of chess are explained 36

7 In which the meaning of the board's thirty-two squares is explained 37

8 In which the names of chess and the pieces are explained 39

9 In which the name, shape, and position of each of the pieces are explained 40

10 In which the shape, position, and movement of the king are explained 42

11 In which the shape, position, and movement of the queen are explained 47

12 In which the shape, position, and movement of the bishops are explained 51

13 In which the shape, position, and movement of the knights are explained 55

14 In which the shape, position, and movement of the rooks are explained 58

15 In which the shape, position, and movement of the pawns are explained 59

16 In which the quality and advantage of each pawn, as well as which pawns are good for one thing and which pawns are good for another, are explained 64

17 In which the previous shape of the king's pawn is described 67

18 In which the previous shape of the queen's pawn is described 68

19 In which the previous shape of the king's bishop's pawn is described 69

20 In which the previous shape of the queen's bishop's pawn is described 70

21 In which the previous shapes of the king's knight's pawn and the queen's knight's pawn are described 71

22 In which the previous shape of the king's rook's pawn is described 71

23 In which the previous shape of the queen's rook's pawn is described 73

24 In which the meanings of the pieces and the pawns of this game, in the order in which they appear, are explained 74

25 In which the meanings of simple check, double check, checkmate, and stalemate, as well as the reason the king in check does not leap, are explained 78

26 In which the reason the white squares of the board, and not the black squares, are on player's right is explained 80

27 In which how to move the chess pieces, how to capture them, how to play from memory, as well as aspects that must be considered, are explained 82

Book II

1 The first way to arrange the game with the first move 119

2 Another way for the player with the first move to open and to arrange the game 120

3 Another way to arrange the game, beginning similarly 121

4 Another way to arrange the game with the first move 126

5 Another way to arrange the game, beginning similarly 128

6 How Black can arrange his game against the aforementioned moves without the first move 131

7 Another way to play, opening with the king's pawn 132

8 Another way to play, opening with the king's pawn 133

9 Another way to play, opening with the king's pawn 136

10 Another way to arrange the game, beginning similarly 137

11 Another way to arrange the game, opening with the king's pawn 139

12 Another way to arrange the game, opening with the king's pawn 143

13 Another way to arrange the game with the king's pawn 145

14 Another way to arrange the game, beginning similarly and playing as in Italy, where the pawn passes battle 146

15 Another way to arrange the game, beginning similarly 149

16 Another way to open the game with the kings' pawns and the king's bishop's pawn, beginning similarly 151

17 Another way to begin the game with the same kings' pawns and the king's bishop's pawn 154

18 Another way to arrange the game, beginning with the aforementioned pawns 154

19 Another way to arrange the game, beginning with the same kings' pawns and and the king's bishop's pawn 157

20 Another way to arrange the game, beginning similarly 160

21 Another way to arrange the game, beginning with the same king's pawns and the king's bishop's pawn 162

22 Another way to arrange the game, beginning similarly with the aforementioned pawns 163

23 Another way to arrange the game, beginning with the same pawns ^4

24 Another way to arrange the game, beginning similarly with the aforementioned pawns 166

25 Another way to arrange the game, beginning similarly with the same pawns 167

26 Another way for Black to arrange the game against the king's bishop's pawn's attack 168

27 Another way for Black to arrange the game against the king's bishop's pawn's attack 171

28 Another way for Black to arrange the game against the king's bishop's pawn's attack 172

29 Another way to arrange the game, beginning with the player whose first move is the king's pawn; the opponent's is the queen's pawn 173

Book III

1 Beginning to arrange the game, according to Damiano 177

2 Beginning to play, according to Damiano's first way 181

3 Another way to arrange the game, beginning with Damiano's same game 182

4 Another way to arrange the game, beginning with Damiano's same game 185

5 Beginning to arrange the game, according to Damiano's second way 186

6 Beginning to arrange the game, according to Damiano's third way 188

7 Which addresses the true way to know how to play the gambit game, with a statement about the oversights and errors that Damiano committed in the way he showed how to play this gambit. Stating, lastly, why this Game, more so than any other, is called a gambit game, what a "gambit" means, and where the term "gambit" originates 192

8 Another way to begin the game on offense and defense, beginning with the moves from Damiano's second and third games 201

9 Another way to begin the game on offense and defense, beginning with Damiano's method 203

10 Another way to attack and to defend the game, beginning like Damiano 204

11 Another way to attack and to defend, beginning with Damiano's aforementioned method 208

12 Another way for Black to arrange the game against the aforementioned attack 210

13 Another way for Black to arrange the game against the aforementioned attack 211

14 Another way for Black to arrange the game against the aforementioned attack 213

15 Another way to protect the king's pawn against the opposing king's knight's attack 216

16 Another way to arrange the game, according to the second way to protect the pawn 218

17 Another way to arrange the game, according to the second way to protect the king's pawn against the knight's attack 220

18 Another way to arrange the game against the king's knight's attack, according to the second way to defend 221

19 Another way to arrange the game against the knight's attack, according to the third way to defend the pawn 223

20 Another way to arrange the game against the knight's attack, according to the fourth way to defend the pawn 226

21 Another way to arrange the game against the king's knight's attack, protecting its pawn, according to the fifth way to defend the pawn 228

22 Beginning the game with the queen's pawn, according to Damiano 230

23 Another way to arrange the game, beginning with the queen's pawn 233

24 Other ways to begin the games, not starting with the aforementioned ways 236

Book IV

1 How to arrange the game to defend against a player who receives an advantage of two moves 241

2 How the player who receives an advantage of two moves for the king's bishop's pawn should arrange the game 243

3 Another way the player who receives an advantage of two moves for the king's bishop's pawn can arrange the game 245

4 How the player who receives first move advantage for the king's bishop's pawn should arrange the game 246

5 Another way for the player who receives first move advantage for the king's bishop's pawn to arrange the game 247

6 Another way for the player who receives an advantage of the king's bishop's pawn for the first move to arrange the game, according to Damiano 250

7 Which addresses several of the chapter's errors and the aforementioned method of playing, according to Damiano 255

8 How the player who receives an advantage of the aforementioned pawn and the first move should arrange the game, according to Damiano 259

9 How the player who receives an advantage of a knight for the aforementioned pawn and the first move should defend, according to Damiano 263

10 Another way the player who receives an advantage of a knight for the king's bishop's pawn and the first move should defend, according to Damiano 269

11 How the player who receives an advantage of a knight for the first move should play, according to Damiano's doctrine 271

12 Another way the player who receives an advantage of a knight for the first move can arrange the game 274

13 Another way the player who receives an advantage of a knight for the first move can arrange the game 277

14 Another way the player who receives an advantage of a knight for the first move can arrange the game 280

15 Another way the player who receives an advantage of a knight for the first move can arrange the game 281

Bibliography 285

Index 289