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Legall's Mate

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This past week at the Midway Chess Club we discussed Legall's Mate. I figured I would share this lesson here on Chess.com Hope you learn something.

 

This well-known opening trap is credited to the French player M. de Kermar, Sire de Légall (1702-1792).  It also is sometimes called the Blackburne Trap, since the English player Joseph Blackburne (1859-1951) used to catch so many players in it!  It can arise in a number of different move orders, and it's one of those traps you need to be aware of so you don't fall victim to your own greed!  Learn to recognize the pattern you see in the following examples.


Another way of setting this trap.

If the trap is not fallen into.


Here is an example from a 1938 game. The Opening is Ruy Lopez


Another example from King's Gambit Opening


Hope you have the pattern by now.
Here is the test.
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