How to Play the Légal's Trap
Légal's Trap is one of chess's most famous tactical traps, dating back to 1750. White appears to blunder the queen by playing Nxe5 while the queen is pinned, but after Black takes the queen, White delivers a devastating checkmate with Nxf7, Nd5, and Bc4.
Move Sequence
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 d6 4. Nc3 Bg4
Key Ideas
- The pseudo-sacrifice: White's Nxe5 appears to blunder the queen, since the queen on d1 is attacked by the bishop on g4. But if Black captures the queen with ...Bxd1, White plays Bxf7+ Ke7 Nd5# — a beautiful checkmate. It's a trap hidden inside what looks like a blunder.
- Knight and bishop coordination: The trap relies on White's pieces working in perfect harmony. After Bxf7+ Ke7, the bishop drives the king to e7. Then Nd5# delivers checkmate — the knight covers d5 while the bishop covers f7 and the e6 square is unavailable. A timeless tactical pattern.
- Teaching lesson: Légal's Trap teaches an important lesson: beware of absolute pins. The bishop on g4 appears to pin the knight, but White can deliberately ignore the pin with a forcing sequence. Not every pin is absolute — always check if there's a hidden tactical resource.
Questions players ask
How does Légal's Trap work exactly?
After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 d6 4.Nc3 Bg4 5.Nxe5!, Black's natural reaction is 5...Bxd1?? (taking the 'free' queen). White then plays 6.Bxf7+ Ke7 7.Nd5# — the bishop and knight deliver an unstoppable checkmate on d5.
How can Black avoid falling into Légal's Trap?
Instead of 5...Bxd1, Black should play 5...Nxe5 (developing with tempo), which refutes White's trap and gives Black a fine position. After 5...Nxe5 6.Qxg4 Nxg4, Black has won a piece. Alternatively, Black can avoid the trap entirely by not playing 4...Bg4.
Who was Sire de Légal?
Sire de Légal (François Antoine de Legall de Kermeur, 1702-1792) was a French chess master and one of the strongest players of his era. He was the teacher of the famous chess author Philidor. The trap was first recorded in a game he played around 1750 in Paris.