How to Play Legal's Mate in Chess

Have you ever watched a Grandmaster game in which there was a spectacular Queen sacrifice? Many of those very same Grandmasters began their serious chess study by learning openings like Legal's Mate. A fun and satisfying trap every new chess player should know.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. 
    

   Play e4, or King's pawn up two squares.

2. 
    

   Play Nf3, or the right Knight out above the Bishop if your opponent plays e5, or King's pawn up two squares as well.

3. 
    

   Play white Bishop to c5, or out three white squares if black plays d6, or Queen's pawn up one.

4. 
    

   Play Nc3, or the left Knight out above the black Bishop if your opponenet plays Bg4, or his white Bishop out to pin your Knight on f3 to the Queen.

5. 
    

   Take the e pawn, or black's King pawn with your f3 (right) Knight if black plays something passive like a6 or h6 (the extreme end pawns).

6. 
    

   Play Bxf7, or Bishop takes the white pawn by the king, if your opponent falls for the trap and takes your Queen. This gives check, forcing black to move the king out of it since your Knight on e5 is covering the Bishop.

7. 
    
   Checkmate!

   Play Nd5, or the left Knight to the white center square once black's King moves to e7, the only possible response. This gives checkmate, and the game is over.

Tips & Warnings

• The series of moves given above are the most popular ones leading to Legal's Mate, but not the only ones--watch for black to play his knights to the outside of the board as well, instead of covering the center squares. One other key is that the black bishop must be in its home square in order for the checkmate to work; otherwise, the black king could walk to f8, or the black Bishop's home square.
• Make sure the Knight sacrifice on e5 is sound before you do it. If it doesn't lead to checkmate, or simply win the pawn, you could suffer an embarrassing loss!
• Normally, this opening only works on amateur players, since most players of experience know to develop the Knights first.