Francois-Andre Danican Philidor was both a chess and musical prodigy. He was taught chess by Kermur Sire De Legal, who initially gave him rook odds, until the young Philidor became too strong for his teacher.This book was the first chess book to explain the openings the middle game and the general strategy of chess. The book claimed that "Lespions sont l'ame du jeu", a phrase that became widely known as "the pawns are the soul of chess", a maxim known to chess players ever since.