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Legall de Kermeur was the strongest Parisian player in his
day and was considered the 5th unofficial world chess
champion from 1730-1747. His star pupil
was Francois Philidor, who
eventually supplanted him as the strongest player in the
world around the year 1747.
Like many great players
before him, he regularly displayed his talents at the
Café de la Regence in Paris. He was well liked for
his wit in spite of his habit of overindulgence in
snuff. His skinny, pale presence was almost a
fixture at the Café. He is best remembered today
as the mentor of Philidor and as the creator of the
mating pattern named after him and which is evident in
his only surviving game shown below, known as the Legall
Mate. |
