Please help me identify a famous game

Hi, I read a few chess books years ago, and in one of them a famous match was showcased which I found really impressive. I know this isn't much information to go on, but I was hoping some chess expert would know what one I'm talking about.

I seem to remember it was played between a British or French nobleman (maybe in 18th or 19th century) and his opponent, not in a tournament. It involved (I think) white making a series of risky moves and maybe even a couple of sacrifices to trap his opponent's king in about 8 moves, mainly using both bishops parked in the centre. The opponent kept exploiting what he thought were mistakes and didn't see the danger.

Again, sorry this is not much info, but that's all I have. It was in one of those short chess books for casuals and beginners, a sort of coffee table thing. Cheers.

I've watched it back and I think you could possibly be right. Then again, this is far longer than I remembered, which makes me think the game I had in mind didn't use the bishops, it used both knights and in far fewer moves than the Evergreen Game. Thanks, but I'm still not convinced this is the one. Is there a game you know of which famously used both knights from the centre of the board? I'm sure the one I'm looking for had far fewer moves, which was why it was so useful for a small book like that.

It was with 2 knights, it would have been a smothered mate I think.

The most famous chess game EVER was a consultation game between the American chess champion Paul Morphy vs a team made up of Count Isouard and the Duke of Brunswick. Played in the Count's opera box at the Paris Opera during intermission at a performance of "Norma". (Other sources say "The Barber of Seville" but are poorly supported by facts),

One of McDonnell - La Bourdonnais games ?

#7 - This is a bit off topic, but that final position is hilarious IMO.

One enemy pawn that's one square from promoting is already an issue. But three adjacent enemy pawns that are one square away, all while your king is right in the path of those pawns? Yeah, that seems like a good time to quit.

Thanks for the replies, but still no luck. I remember the two knights ended up in adjacent squares just past the centre, trapping the king in only about 8 moves. White may even have sacrificed his queen to set the trap. The winner definitely had a title like Lord or Earl, I have it in my head it was a French name. I know this is frustratingly unclear :/ I have no hope of finding that book from all the millions of such chess books.

Napoleon Marache v Morphy

The guy who said LaBourdonnais vs McDonnel was right. This is the match you are searching for. The problem is these guys played 80 games or so.

Definitely Morphy, smothered mate 1857 was an all time classic if they were ever to write a book about one specific game it be that one

Thanks for the help, but I've been all through LaBourdonnais's matches and I can't find it. Oh well, maybe I'll search out that book.

"Napoleon Marache v Morphy"

It also wasn't this one, but thanks.

Quite obviously this

I was just going to suggest the Legal game. Legal was a French nobleman.

yeah Legal's trap/mate

I won a Pawn in a rated OTB tournament chess game against a 1950 player with a Legal's trap.

You found it! Thanks so much, you don't know the torture you've saved me Brilliant game, I love the baits and the over-confidence of black.