Légall's Mate
by David
Surratt
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.
Here's the famous game Légall won with this trap:
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Légall v St. Brie, 1750
1. e4 e5
2. Bc4 d6
3. Nf3 Bg4
4. Nc3 g6
       
  
  
 
    
Something to note about this position: White has three
pieces developed to one for Black. Remember to
develop your pieces! White now uses his lead in development to win
a pawn with...
5. Nxe5
...when Black should accept his mistakes and retreat the
bishop to safety. If Black takes the knight with 5...dxe5 then White
captures the bishop, 6.Qxg4. Instead, Black gets greedy:
5. ..... Bxd1
6. Bxf7+ Ke7
7. Nd5 mate!
Black's up a queen
all right, but he's down a king! Notice how the pieces combine to
cover every possible escape square, in addition to giving checkmate?
Now that's cooperation!
Here's another way the trap can be laid...
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 d6
3. Bc4 Bg4
4. Nc3 a6
5. Nxe5!
You can finish the mate on your own.
If the bishop is protected, or if Black can recapture on e5
with a knight, the trap doesn't work - in fact it loses a piece:
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 d6
3. Bc4 Bg4
4. Nc3 Nc6
Now if White makes the mistake of playing 5.Nxe5 Black
simply responds 6...Nxe5 and the g4-bishop is protected.
White just lost a piece!
One more example of how the Légall pattern might arise, this
time from a King's Gambit opening:
1. e4 e5
2. f4 exf4
3. Nf3 d6
4. Bc4 h6
5. h4 Nf6
6. Nc3 Bg4
7. d4 Nh5
Can you guess what White plays next?
8. Ne5!
Right! Work out for yourself the consequences if Black
gets greedy and plays 8...Bxd1.
Here's one final example of how the Légall pattern might
occur in an actual game:
Benjafield vs Wippell 1938
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Bb5 Nge7
4. Nc3 a6
5. Ba4 b5
6. Bb3 h6
7. d4 d6
8. a4 b4
9. Nd5 Bg4
Is the Légall pattern starting to look familiar yet?
10. Nxe5
Now if Black plays 10... Nxe5 11. f3 Nxf3+ 12. gxf3 Bh3 and
White's winning. Instead, Black got greedy...
10. ..... Bxd1
11. Nf6+ gxf6
12. Bxf7 checkmate
Master this pattern, and you will be able to avoid getting
greedy when you should be attending to the development of your pieces.
Good Chess!
Opening Resources
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