Ruy Lopez Ajedrez", written in 1561. Although it bears his name, this particular opening was included in the Göttingen manuscript, which dates from c. 1490. However, popular use of the Ruy Lopez opening did not develop until the mid-19th century, when Carl Jaenisch, a Russian theoretician, "rediscovered" its potential. The opening remains the most commonly used amongst the open games in master play; it has been adopted by almost all players during their careers, many of whom have played it with both colours. Due to the difficulty for Black in achieving equality, a common nickname for the opening is "The Spanish Torture".
Ruy González de Clavijo Ruy González de Clavijo Ruy González de Clavijo (died 2 April 1412) was a Castilian traveller and writer. In 1403-05 Clavijo was the ambassador of Henry III of Castile to the court of Timur, founder and ruler of the Timurid Empire. A diary of the journey, perhaps based on detailed notes kept while traveling, was later published in Spanish in 1582 ("Embajada a Tamorlán") and in English in 1859 ("Narrative of the Embassy of Ruy Gonzalez de Clavijo to the Court of Timour at Samarcand AD 1403-6"). Clavijo, a nobleman of Madrid and chamberlain to the king, set sail from