A historic auction in the chess world

Luis Ramírez de Lucena’s Repetición de Amores y Arte de Ajedrez (1497), regarded as one of the oldest printed works on chess to survive to the present day, is now awaiting buyers at Sotheby’s. Documenting early chess culture, this work is not merely a book; it is a unique historical record reflecting the game’s transition from the Middle Ages to modern chess. The appearance on the market of a Lucena volume, of which only a very limited number of copies survive today, is of great importance not only to collectors but also to chess historians.

The provenance of this special item is at least as remarkable as the book itself. German grandmaster Lothar Schmid, who died in 2013, was known not only as a strong chess player and arbiter of famous matches, but also as a passionate book collector. As one of the partners of the Karl May publishing house in Bamberg, Schmid lived surrounded by books, and this professional connection, combined with his love of chess, led him to build one of the world’s most comprehensive chess libraries. His collection had grown so vast that it was even said that he sometimes found it difficult to keep track of which edition of which work he owned. Even so, there can be no doubt that he fully understood the value of his finest treasures.

Although Lucena’s book stands out in the selection offered by Sotheby’s, there are other valuable chess works from the Schmid collection as well. These books are far more than ordinary opening manuals; they are pieces of cultural heritage showing how chess thought, the understanding of piece movement, and the tradition of analysis took shape over the centuries. Just as opening preparation, memorizing variations, or practical repertoires for rapid chess are important to today’s players, these works are equally valuable for understanding the game’s intellectual past. Figures such as Lucena in particular are regarded as among those who laid the first written foundations of chess theory.

Of course, items at this level are not affordable purchases aimed at a broad readership. Yet rare chess books, like works of art, are seen as collectible objects that can appreciate in value over time. For that reason, this auction can be viewed not only as a matter of aesthetic or historical curiosity, but also as part of a long-term collecting vision. For anyone who wants to own a truly exceptional chess work in their library, this sale may represent an opportunity that will not come around again anytime soon. The battles played out on the chessboard may come and go, but works like these, which carry the memory of the game, continue to be true masterpieces through their enduring permanence.