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 Pérez Ponce de León Ruy Pérez Ponce de León Ruy Pérez Ponce de León or Rodrigo Pérez Ponce de León (b. ? - d. 1295) was a Spanish noble of the House of Ponce de León, in the service of the Kingdom of Castile. He was the 15th Grand Master of the Order of Calatrava from 1284 to 1295 under King Sancho IV of Castile and further served as Mayordomo Mayor del Rey from 1293 - 1295, also under Sancho IV. Ruy was the son of the Count of Cabrera, Pedro Ponce de Cabrera and his wife, , one of the illegitimate daughters of