Find the Move — November 6, 2026

Légal at the Café de la Régence (1750)

White to move. Find the best move.

From Kermur Sire de Légal – Saint Brie, Paris 1750.

Paris, around 1750. The Café de la Régence was the centre of chess in Europe, and Kermur Sire de Légal was its strongest player — he was the teacher of the great Philidor. In a game against a player named Saint Brie he set a trap that is now taught to every beginner. The game may have been polished in retelling, but the idea is real: Black believes he has just won White's queen.