Luis Ramírez de Lucena | Repetición de amores y arte de ajedrez, [Salamanca, 1497], the oldest surviving book on the game of chess

Luis Ramírez de Lucena

Repetición de Amores y Arte de Ajedrez. [Salamanca: Leonardo Hutz and Lope Sanz, 1497]

FIRST EDITION, 2 parts in one volume, 4to (180 x 138 mm). COLLATION: a-d⁸ e1-3; A⁸ 2a-2c⁸ 2d-2e⁶ B-F⁸ G1-3: 122 leaves (only, of 124: lacking terminal blanks to both parts, each supplied on later paper stock). Gothic type, numerous woodcuts of chessboards within woodcut borders, woodcut initials, some washed early modern annotations, modern maroon blind-stamped panelled calf over wooden boards, spine lettered in gilt, inner dentelles gilt, dampstaining throughout

A RARE COPY OF THE OLDEST SURVIVING BOOK DEALING WITH PRACTICAL CHESS PLAY, and including 150 positions (although not the Lucena Defence or the Lucena Position). Lucena's book is particularly significant as it was written just after the modern rules of chess had emerged in Valencia in the 1470s. The most significant change was that the queen became much more powerful than in earlier versions of the game; the new game was much more dynamic and aggressive, so gained the name scacchi alla rabioso in Italy. Lucena describes both old and new chess in his book.

The Arte de Ajedrez forms the second part of this book, following the Repetición de Amores, an anti-feminist poem. Little is known about the author, who is recorded variously as Juan or Luis Ramírez de Lucena. He was probably a student in Salamanca and the son of the humanist Juan Lucena. Pérez de Arriaga suggests that the most likely date of printing is October 1497 (ISTC).

The book is exceptionally rare. 18 copies are recorded in ISTC and Rare Book Hub records just 2 copies sold at auction (Sotheby's London, 22 November 1984, lot 85 and Swann Galleries, 8 March 2018, lot 113), both of which lack the first part, which is PRESENT IN THIS COPY.

LITERATURE:

USTC 344916; ISTC il00317000 ("Frequently found without the 'Repetición de amores'" [i.e. Part 1]); Hain 10254; Pierpont Morgan Catalogue, Part III, 668 (giving full collation)