Giovanni Leonardo di Bona or Giovanni Leonardo da Cutri (both given names can be seen also in the reversed order Leonardo Giovanni), known as
Il Puttino
''Il Puttino'' is a book published by Alessandro Salvio in 1634, full title:
IL PVTTINO
Altramente detto,
IL CAVALIERO ERRANTE
DEL SALVIO,
Sopra il gioco de'Scacchi, con la sua Apologia contra il Carrera, diuiso in tre Libri. IN NAPOLI, Nella Stam ...
( it, Small Child) (1542–1597), was an early
Italian chess master.
Giovanni Leonardo was born in
Cutro Cutro ( Calabrian: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Crotone, Calabria region, Italy. It's called "City of chess". It is the place of birth of Vincenzo Iaquinta, World Cup-winning footballer who played for Serie A club Juventus.
Histor ...
,
Calabria
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. He studied law in
Rome. In 1560, he lost a match to
Ruy López in Rome. In 1566–1572, he travelled and played chess in
Rome,
Genoa,
Marseille,
Barcelona. He had played many times against
Paolo Boi
Paolo Boi (1528–1598) was an Italian chess player. He is considered to have been one of the greatest chess players of the 16th century. In 1549, he beat Pope Paul III in a chess match.
Early life
He was born in Syracuse, Sicily (now Italy), ...
in Italy, and they were regarded as being equal in strength.
Giovanni Leonardo di Bona won the first known international master tournament in the history of chess in
Madrid in 1575, therefore becoming the strongest chess master of the time. After their success at the
Court of Spain, Leonardo and Paolo Boi, both travelled, albeit separately, to
Lisbon
Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...
, where they tested their chess skill against ''Il Moro'', the eminent chess champion of
King Don Sebastian, of Portugal. Again, they both succeeded—first Leonardo, soon followed by Paolo Boi—in defeating Il Moro.
After he won with Ruy Lopez in Spain, he asked for his town
Cutro Cutro ( Calabrian: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Crotone, Calabria region, Italy. It's called "City of chess". It is the place of birth of Vincenzo Iaquinta, World Cup-winning footballer who played for Serie A club Juventus.
Histor ...
to be exonerated of taxes and called Cutro "City of Chess", where every year this event is remembered in a traditional day in August.
And again the King was generous with his rewards. After this triumph, Giovanni Leonardo di Bona, having been called the wandering knight (''Il Cavaliere errante'') by King Don Sebastian, left Portugal to return to Italy and settle in
Naples where he became the chess master for the Prince of
Bisignano.
External links
*
Biography
1542 births
1597 deaths
People from the Province of Crotone
Italian chess players
16th century in chess
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