Pedro Damiano
Original title: Questo libro e da imparare giocare a scachi
Pedro Damiano's Roman edition of 1512 presents chess as an art that can be learned step by step. Beginning with the names and arrangement of the pieces, the author explains the rules before moving to openings and specific methods of conducting the struggle. This early printed manual preserves the direct voice of a teacher from the beginning of the sixteenth century.
Play at odds occupies a substantial place: Damiano considers different balances of force and shows how to exploit an advantage granted at the outset or resist a stronger opponent. Practical variations are followed by tactical subtleties, 72 problems and advice on playing without looking at the board. The book combines instruction in calculation with the cultivation of memory and observation.
The treatise's historical interest lies in its methods of explanation: what the author considers a pupil's first essential knowledge, which threats he highlights and how he constructs an argument. Modern notation, diagrams and notes make the old records easier to study. Ambiguous positions and distinctive rules are discussed separately, preserving the distinction between Damiano's text and editorial reconstruction.
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