▁Leg er ▁could ▁enjoy ▁the ▁status ▁of ▁best ▁player ▁in ▁France . ▁As ▁G . ▁Allen ▁explains ▁in ▁his ▁Life ▁of ▁Phil idor , ▁Leg al ▁att ained ▁an ▁advanced ▁old ▁age ▁of ▁nearly ▁ 9 0 ▁years . ▁From ▁his ▁defeat ▁to ▁Phil idor ▁in ▁the ▁match ▁of ▁ 1 7 5 5 ▁until ▁his ▁death , ▁he ▁maintained ▁his ▁rank ▁as ▁the ▁second - best ▁player ▁in ▁France . ▁The ▁three ▁were ▁probably ▁inferior ▁to ▁Leg al , ▁and ▁only ▁after ▁his ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 2 ▁could ▁one ▁of ▁them ▁asp ire ▁to ▁the ▁throne ▁of ▁the ▁C afé ▁de ▁la ▁Rég ence . ▁ ▁Verd oni ▁ ▁The ▁amateur ▁who ▁moved ▁to ▁England , ▁however , ▁appears ▁to ▁enjoy ▁wider ▁recognition ▁as ▁best ▁player ▁in ▁the ▁country ▁and ▁perhaps ▁the ▁world . ▁The ▁Oxford ▁Comp an ion ▁to ▁Ch ess ▁reports ▁that ▁Verd oni ▁(? – 1 8 0 4 ), ▁Italian , ▁learned ▁ch ess ▁only ▁in ▁middle ▁age ▁and ▁( un us ually ) ▁became ▁a ▁master . ▁After ▁Phil idor ' s ▁death ▁( 1 7 9 5 ), ▁Verd oni ▁was ▁considered ▁( es pecially ▁in ▁England ) ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁strong est ▁players ▁in ▁the ▁world ▁and ▁took ▁Phil idor ' s ▁place ▁as ▁house ▁professional ▁at ▁Par s lo e ' s . ▁He ▁ment ored ▁Jacob ▁S arr att ▁until ▁he ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 8 0 4 . ▁Verd oni ▁was ▁called ▁by ▁Lö w ent hal ▁" the