Dr. McGrath’s translation of chess classic in print

June 1, 2019

Catholic University of America Press published Dr. Michael McGrath’s first ever English translation of Ruy López’s Libro de la invención liberal y arte del juego del ajedrez (1561). The English title of López’s 300-page book is The Art of the Game of Chess. Andrew Soltis, an International Grandmaster of Chess and a member of the United States Chess Hall of Fame, provides the foreword to this seminal tome. In addition to the translation, there is a critical introduction and 280 footnotes. Although the translator will not assure us that a careful reading of his labors will transform our chess game, his translation does promise a fascinating exploration of the history of chess.