Valencia Spain: The Cradle of European Chess

Our premiere piece is by Dr. Ricardo Calvo. As a chess historian, author and reporter (be sure to check out the link to Dr. Calvo’s website on our "Links Page"), as well as a chess player who earned the rank of IM, Dr. Calvo brings a uniquely qualified perspective to his work. Dr. Calvo sets forth evidence and arguments that Spain was the incubator and situs of the monumental changes that occurred in chess in the late fifteenth century, that resulted in the game we know as chess today. While many trace the introduction of the increased powers of the Queen and the Bishop to Renaissance Italy, Dr. Calvo presents a compelling case for his native homeland.