Arturio Pomar Salamanca
A child prodigy, Arturio Pomar Salamanca was a force to be reckoned with in championships since the age of 10. In 1962 he was the first Spanish man who achieved the rank of Grandmaster. He played the world champion of the time—Bobby Fischer—in a draw match that very same year, and then again in 1966. Triumphant as his ventures were, he fell victim to 2 nervous breakdowns that affected his chess career.
Ruy López de Segura
Was a Catholic priest and is accredited as the first modern chess writer, as he published the first instruction manual for chess in 1561 called ‘Libro de la invención liberal y arte del juego del axedrez’. He is also considered to have been the best chess player in both Spain and Italy for a duration of 20 years. Though the title did not exist yet, he was also generally considered to deserve the title of world champion.
