What was chess like in 1500-1700? Do we have records of the moves played in any famous games from that era?

by Wizardof1000Kings
TywinDeVillena

In the second half of the XVI century, chess gained scholarly attention, although in the late XV century some manuals had already been published. The Spanish priest Ruy López de Segura (eponymous for the Spanish or Ruy López opening) published in 1561 a very dettailed and analytic book on chess, with special interest in game openings.

While in Italy, Ruy López played against Giovanni Leonardo da Cutro, known as "il Puttino" and also against Paolo Boi "il siracusano", and against "l'Abruzzese" (known erroneously in Spanish sources as "El Brocense"). Some of his matches are recorded thanks to Giulio Cesare Polerio's annotations, who also registered other matches. Ruy López is regarded as the "first world champion", a titke occasionally bestowed on Boi based on the tournanent held at El Escorial between two Spanish masters (Segura and Cerón) and two Italian masters (Polerio and Cutro).

You can easily find records of the matches translated into modern chess notation in many places if you are interested.

Another well known chess player in Spain in the XVI century was Saint Theresa of Ávila (patron saint of chess players), although chess had a bit of a stigma as it was a game that involved bets, which was something morally rejected by the Church and very much improper for a nun.