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Chess traps every beginner should know

Légal's Mate

Légal's mate is a 250-year-old trap named after Sire de Légal, a Paris café champion. Black pins the white knight to the queen with ...Bg4 and thinks the knight can't move. It can.

White plays Nxe5 and leaves the queen hanging. If Black grabs it, three minor pieces deliver checkmate. If Black resists, White is simply a pawn up.

The moves

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 Bg4 4.Nc3 g6 5.Nxe5 Bxd1 6.Bxf7+ Ke7 7.Nd5#

The knight takes e5, Black’s bishop eats the queen on d1. Then your bishop takes f7 with check, the king steps to e7, and the knight mates from d5. If Black declines, you simply won a pawn.

What if the opponent doesn’t take the bait?

Take the knight

5.Nxe5 dxe5 6.Qxg4

Black resists the bait. Your queen grabs the bishop on g4, and you’re a pawn up.

Save the bishop

5.Nxe5 Be6 6.Bxe6 fxe6

The coolest-headed reply. The e5 pawn is still yours — a nice breakfast bonus.

How not to fall for it

As Black, a pin to the queen is not a real pin: the pinned piece may still move if the queen's loss is paid back. Before ...Bg4, check what happens if White ignores it.

If White has already played Nxe5, do not take the queen. 5...dxe5 6.Qxg4 or 5...Be6 only loses a pawn instead of the game.

Questions

Does Légal's mate work in real games?

Yes — beginners and blitz players fall for it because taking a queen feels too good to refuse. It needs ...Bg4 pinning the knight and a weak f7 square.

What if Black doesn't take the queen?

Then White has won the e5 pawn for free. After 5...dxe5 6.Qxg4, White is a clean pawn up.

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