Légal’s Mate
The queen is bait
The attacking idea
Leave the queen available and use the bishop and knight to attack the king.
The temptation
Taking a queen looks irresistible. Check the mating threats before accepting it.
If they defend
Develop or exchange the attacking pieces instead of grabbing the queen.
Look for the tactic as you develop. The opponent can choose a different route.
They take the bait
1. e4 1… e5 2. Nf3 2… Nc6 3. Bc4 3… d6 4. Nc3 4… Bg4 5. h3 5… Bh5 6. Nxe5 6… Bxd1 7. Bxf7+ 7… Ke7 8. Nd5#
They defend
1. e4 1… e5 2. Nf3 2… Nc6 3. Bc4 3… d6 4. Nc3 4… Bg4 5. h3 5… Bxf3 6. Qxf3 6… Nf6 7. d3