Joseph Henry Blackburne, a British master and one of the world's top five players in the latter part of the 19th century, set the trap on many occasions.
There are a number of ways the trap can arise; the one below shows a natural move sequence from a simultaneous exhibition in Paris.
André Cheron, one of France's leading players, won with the trap as White against Jeanlose: 1. e4 e5 2.
Nd5# The original game featured Légal playing at rook odds (without Ra1)[2] against Saint Brie in Paris 1750: 1. e4 e5 2.
Nd5# 1–0 A mating pattern where a pinned knight moves, allowing the capture of the player's queen but leading to a checkmate with three minor pieces, occasionally occurs at lower levels of play, though masters would not normally fall for it.
According to Bjerke (Spillet i mitt liv), the Légal Trap has ensnared countless unwary players.
One author writes that "Blackburne sprang it several hundreds of times during his annual tours.