Giovanni Leonardo Di Bona lived in Italy, but was not the painter Leonardo Da Vinci. He was probably one of the greatest chess players in Italy at that time. He was the master teacher and chess player to the Prince in Naples at that time.
Not noted for his moves, he was noted for his winning. It is said he was equal to Paolo Boi in winning strength. A painting depicting the royal company with Di Bona playing chess was well known in the era. It depicts Di Bona defeating Ruy Lopez in Spain.
An historical figure, Di Bona, had the edge on a modern chess player due to the fact that philosophers and thinkers were greatly known at that time. Chess strategy fit in well with the culture. Unlike today where thinking is planning a simple battle strategy, thinking strategies meant thinking logically, philosophically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. All that is in life was considered and gave depth to the chess player strategy. In other words, they lived to think.
Di Bona was born in 1542, studied law in Rome, and played chess not only in Rome but abroad. He was a lawyer and was able to fit in with many of the higher class chess players. This is only one reason he could play against many of the best chess players. He himself was an accomplished thinker probably making him a great lawyer also.
Teachers of chess cannot be beat easily. There are different levels of chess master. In the History of chess, a chess player will become a chess master of a certain country that he plays in most, or that he has been born in.
Giovanni was seldom beat. There was only one time noted that he had lost a game in Rome. That very well could have been because of the difference in chess pieces. It was difficult to distinguish the chess pieces due to the fact that they were similarly carved at that time. Also it may be possible that one region might have several different styles in the same game. During the lifetime of Di Bona, game players were just starting to lay the ground rules for Queens Chess and he very well may even have played a variation of the game.
