Legal's Mate — the queen sacrifice that wins with three minor pieces
Learn the trap that has been catching greedy opponents since 1750.
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What is Legal's Mate?
What is Legal's mate in chess? It is an opening trap that features a brilliant queen sacrifice. White allows Black to capture the queen to deliver a stunning two-move checkmate with two knights and a bishop.
How It Works — Step by Step
The pin that enables the trap
Black has played the bishop to g4, pinning White's f3 knight to the queen. This looks strong — but it is the prerequisite for Legal's Mate.
Nxe5!! — the queen sacrifice
White ignores the pin and plays the knight to e5, apparently offering the queen for free. If Black takes the queen with Bxd1 — the trap is sprung.
Bxf7+ — the first move of the mate
Black has taken the queen. Now White plays Bxf7+, attacking the king. The king must go to e7 — the only legal move.
Nd5# — checkmate
After Bxf7+ Ke7, the knight delivers checkmate with Nd5#. The king has no escape. Three minor pieces delivered the mate.
Common Misconceptions
Legal's mate is a foolproof trick that always wins the queen or the game.
It is not foolproof. If White doesn't prepare it correctly (usually by playing h3 first), Black can respond to Nxe5 with ...Nxe5. Instead of taking the queen, Black wins a full piece.
Can You Spot It?
Test yourself with these positions
Legal's Final Blow
Deliver the final blow.
concepts.legals_mate.sections.puzzles
concepts.legals_mate.sections.puzzlesSubtitle
Execute the Mate - The opponent just greedily took your queen on d1. Deliver the first move of the checkmate.
Is it Safe? - A position where the pin exists, but the Legal's mate sacrifice does *not* work immediately because ...Nxe5 refutes it. Find the correct developing move instead.
Famous Legal's Mate Games
The original game played at the Café de la Régence in Paris, from which this trap gets its name.
Tips for Club Players
Before playing Nxe5, ask yourself: 'What if they just take my knight on e5 instead of the queen?'
Playing h3 to force the bishop to h5 is usually the necessary preparation for Legal's trap.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about Legal's Mate
Legal's mate is an opening trap involving a queen sacrifice. White allows Black to capture the queen, setting up a forced two-move checkmate using two knights and a bishop.
You do Legal's mate by allowing the opponent to pin your f3 knight with their bishop, then sacrificing your queen with Nxe5. When they take the queen, you play Bxf7+ followed by Nd5#.
No, Legal's mate does not always work. If White plays Nxe5 without proper preparation, Black can simply play ...Nxe5. This defends the bishop and leaves Black up a piece.
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