▁Phil idor ▁( who ▁gives ▁to ▁them ▁the ▁advantage ▁of ▁Pa wn ▁and ▁Move ) ▁surv ives . ▁Verd oni , ▁Bernard , ▁Car lier ▁and ▁Leg er , ▁although ▁not ▁approaching ▁Phil idor ' s ▁level , ▁were ▁considered ▁the ▁best ▁in ▁the ▁world ▁in ▁the ▁years ▁following ▁his ▁death ; ▁directly ▁or ▁indirect ly ▁( since ▁Verd oni ▁moved ▁to ▁London ▁after ▁the ▁publication ▁of ▁Tra ité ), ▁they ▁have ▁disput ed ▁each ▁other ▁for ▁the ▁title ▁of ▁Phil idor ' s ▁successor . ▁Since ▁there ▁are ▁no ▁records ▁of ▁their ▁games , ▁it ▁is ▁impossible ▁to ▁assess ▁the ▁relative ▁strength s ▁of ▁each ▁player . ▁D esch ap elles , ▁however , ▁reported ▁that ▁Phil idor ▁class ed ▁Leg alle ▁as ▁a ▁player ▁equal ▁to ▁himself , ▁Verd oni ▁as ▁one ▁to ▁receive ▁pa wn ▁for ▁the ▁move , ▁and ▁Bernard ▁and ▁Car lier ▁as ▁P ▁and ▁move ▁players . ▁ ▁Bernard ▁ ▁Bernard ▁was ▁probably ▁the ▁best ▁ch ess ▁player ▁at ▁the ▁C afé ▁de ▁la ▁Rég ence ▁around ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century , ▁at ▁least ▁until ▁the ▁arrival ▁of ▁Alexandre ▁D esch ap elles ▁on ▁the ▁world ▁ch ess ▁scene ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 8 . ▁According ▁to ▁George ▁Walker , ▁D esch ap elles ▁noted : ▁I ▁acquired ▁ch ess , ▁in ▁four ▁days ! ▁I ▁learned ▁the ▁moves , ▁played ▁with ▁Bernard , ▁who ▁had ▁succeeded ▁Phil idor ▁as ▁the ▁so ver eign ▁of ▁the ▁board ; ▁lost ▁the ▁first