is ▁says ▁that ▁old ▁ch ess - play ers ▁at ▁the ▁Ca fe ▁de ▁la ▁Reg ence ▁had ▁repeated ▁to ▁him ▁Phil idor ' s ▁own ▁statement , ▁that ▁he ▁did ▁not ▁att ain ▁his ▁full ▁strength ▁until ▁he ▁had ▁made ▁his ▁campaign s ▁in ▁Holland ▁and ▁in ▁England . ▁ ▁Thus , ▁Leg al ▁was ▁probably ▁the ▁strong est ▁player ▁of ▁the ▁C afé ▁de ▁la ▁Rég ence ▁and ▁probably ▁in ▁the ▁world ▁until ▁ 1 7 5 5 ▁when ▁he ▁lost ▁a ▁match ▁to ▁Phil idor . ▁It ▁is ▁not ▁known ▁if ▁he ▁tra ve led ▁or ▁played ▁in ▁other ▁countries ▁besides ▁France , ▁but , ▁since ▁the ▁C afé ▁de ▁la ▁Rég ence , ▁was ▁the ▁ch ess ▁Me cca ▁of ▁the ▁time , ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁strong est ▁players ▁of ▁ 1 8 th ▁century , ▁sooner ▁or ▁later , ▁ended ▁up ▁at ▁the ▁C afé ▁and ▁the ▁strong est ▁among ▁them ▁played ▁Leg al . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁known ▁that ▁he ▁played ▁with ▁Sir ▁Abraham ▁J ans sen , ▁the ▁strong est ▁English ▁player ▁according ▁to ▁Phil idor ▁himself . ▁G . ▁Allen ▁refers ▁that ▁Leg al ▁was ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁opinion ▁of ▁Phil idor ▁regarding ▁the ▁skills ▁of ▁J ans sen ▁over ▁the ▁board . ▁This ▁could ▁indicate ▁that , ▁at ▁even ▁terms , ▁J ans sen ▁won ▁approximately ▁only ▁one ▁fourth ▁of ▁the ▁games ▁played ▁with ▁Leg al ▁as ▁he ▁did ▁with ▁Phil idor , ▁but ▁this ▁is ▁not ▁completely ▁clear ▁from ▁Allen ' s ▁text