The opening was originally analyzed in the late 1600s, but the first recorded game was by a Neapolitan player named Geronimo Cascio that was published in 1634. The name Muzio Gambit originated in the early 1800s when it was incorrectly named by the English chess writer Jacob Sarratt in his translation of an Italian work. In the gambit as played by the then in effect Italian rules castling was accomplished by placing the King on h1 and Rook on f1. This resulted in an even stronger attack because checks by the Queen or Bishop on the a7-g1 diagonal are no longer available as a defense.
The opening reached its peak popularity in the mid-1800s in what was known as the Romantic Era. Those were the days when sacrifices and early attacks were considered the only correct way to play.
When players like Louis Paulsen and Wilhelm Steinitz came along with their newfangled defensive play the Muzio’s popularity declined.
Today we are going to take a look at the Double Muzio which, according to GM Raymond Keener, is the best version of the Muzio. It is very dangerous against an unprepared opponent, but its soundness has been called into question.
[Event "Monte Carlo"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1902.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Frank Marshall"]
[Black "Charles Moreau"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C37"]
[Annotator "ShashChess 32"]
[PlyCount "57"]
[EventDate "2023.??.??"]
[SourceVersionDate "2023.05.26"]
{Double Muzio Gambit} 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. Bc4 g4 5. O-O {White
offers a N in the hopes of exploiting black's weakness on the f-file and
launching an attack on black’s King. The Muzio continues} gxf3 6. Qxf3 Qf6 {
This is thematic starting position in the Muzio. Black's move is definitely
best because it not only blocks the f-file but also impedes the formation of
white P-center with d4.} 7. e5 {This is the most logical. White sacrifices
another P to open up new lines for attack. A more reserved continuation is the
wimpy 7.d3} (7. d3 Nc6 8. Bxf4 d6 9. Nc3 Qg7 10. Rae1 Bg4 11. Qf2 O-O-O {
Black stands well. Wojdyla,A (1782)-Panjer,S (2140) Ceske Budejovice 2022}) (7.
c3 {A seemingly reasonable attempt to force d4, but it also offers white
little.} d6 8. d4 Bh6 9. Na3 Ne7 10. e5 dxe5 11. dxe5 Qg6 {Here, too, black
stands very well. Arribas Lopez,A (2559)-Aguera Naredo,J (2358) Linares 2015})
7... Qxe5 {Now white has a choice. He can play the still wimpy 8.d3 or he can
do what the he-men of old did and sacrifice another piece by playing the
Double Muzio Gambit.} 8. Bxf7+ {This is the Double Muzio Gambit which,
according to GM Raymond Keene, is the best version of the Muzio. It is very
dangerous against an unprepared opponent, but its soundness has been called
into question. The SashChess 32 engine evaluates it as being only very
slightly inferior to the more usual 8.d3, but in either case black’s
position is evaluated to be better by about a P and a half.} (8. d3 {The
modern way.} Bh6 9. Nc3 Ne7 10. Bd2 Nbc6 11. Rae1 Qf5 12. Nd5 Kd8 {An
interesting position. White almost always plays 13.Bc3 and it has brought
great success. However, engine highly disapprove of that move evaluating it as
leaving black with a winning position. Instead, the recommended move is 13.Qe2,
but the position remains in black's favor by about 3/4 of a P.}) (8. Nc3 Qd4+
9. Kh1 Qxc4 10. d3 Qe6 11. Bxf4 {Black's position remains quite solid. De Boer,
A (1710)-Lebon,J (2070) Bethune 2001}) (8. b3 {This old move is not very
effective either.} d5 9. Bxd5 Ne7 10. Bc4 Nbc6 11. c3 Bf5 12. d4 Qe4 {Black
has an excellent position. Tartakower,S-Leonhardt,P Vienna 1908} 13. Qf2 Be6
14. Bxf4 O-O-O 15. Nd2 Qg6 16. Nf3 Rg8 17. Rad1 Nd5 18. Nh4 Qg4 19. Bxd5 Rxd5
20. c4 Rh5 21. Bg3 Bd6 22. d5 Rxh4 {Tartakower,S-Leonhardt,P Vienna 1908 ½-½
(33)}) 8... Kd8 (8... Kxf7 9. d4 Qxd4+ {Scottish GM John Shaw sharply
criticizes this because it grabs a meaningless Pawn, opens another line for
ehite's attack and makes the black Q vulnerable on the dark squares,. Engines
recommend 9...Qf4 and GM Neil McDonald suggests that 9...Qf5 may be the only
playable move.} 10. Be3 Qf6 11. Bxf4 {British correspondence GM Peter Millican
asserts that the position is objectively equal. Engines agree.} Ke8 12. Nc3 $1
$14 Nc6 13. Nd5 $16 Qg6 14. Rae1+ Be7 $2 {[%mdl 8192]} 15. Bd6 Kd8 16. Qf8+
Bxf8 17. Bxc7# {Black resigned. Shirov,A (2500)-Lapinski,J (2200) Daugavpils
1990}) 9. d4 Qxd4+ 10. Kh1 Bh6 11. Bd2 {Slightly better would have been 11.Nc3}
Qg7 {Excellent...the Q is well placed here.} (11... Qxb2 {is much too greedy
and white would be winning after} 12. Bc3 Qxc2 13. Bxh8) 12. Bb3 Nc6 (12...
Qxb2 {This was wrong last move and it's still wrong.} 13. Bc3 {Traps the Q and
after} Qxa1 14. Bxa1 {the R falls, too.}) 13. Bc3 Ne5 14. Qd5 d6 15. Rd1 {
White threat to take advantage of the pin cand capture on e5 can be easilt
dealt with.} Bd7 16. Ba4 {Hoping to eliminated the B and again threaten to tak
on e5.} Bc6 {[%mdl 8192] This is worth a couple of question marks because the
advantage swings to white.} (16... f3 {Threatens mate, so...} 17. g3 Ne7 {
White has no satisfactory relpy to this.} 18. Qxe5 (18. Qb3 b5 19. Bxb5 Rb8 20.
Na3 f2 21. Kg2 Rf8 22. Bxe5 Qxe5 23. Qc4 Rxb5) 18... dxe5 19. Rxd7+ Kc8 {
and wins.}) 17. Bxc6 bxc6 {Marginally better was 17...Ke7, but white would
still have a decisive advantage.} 18. Qxe5 Qg4 (18... Qxe5 19. Bxe5 {and the R
goes off to the side of the board.}) 19. Na3 Kd7 {Marshall disdains the gain
of more material and goes for the attack.} 20. Nc4 (20. Qxh8 f3 21. Rg1 Rf8 22.
Qxh7+ Kc8 23. gxf3 Qxf3+ 24. Rg2 Be3 25. Qd3 {White is winning.}) 20... f3 {
This allows a mate in 13(!), but he was lost in any case.} (20... Bg7 {meets
with a pretty refutation.} 21. Rxd6+ cxd6 22. Qxd6+ Ke8 23. Qxc6+ Kf7 24. Nd6+
Kg6 25. Qe4+ Kh5 26. h3 Qg5 27. g4+ fxg3 28. Qf3+ Kh6 29. Nf7+ Kg6 30. Nxg5)
21. Rxd6+ {[%mdl 512] White mates.} cxd6 22. Qxd6+ Kc8 23. Qxc6+ Kd8 24. Rd1+
Ke7 25. Qd6+ Ke8 26. Re1+ Kf7 27. Ne5+ {[%mdl 32]} Ke8 28. Ng6+ Kf7 29. Nxh8#
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