Muzio gambit - a success

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Avatar of Etienne

My second try at the muzio gambit, played sharper and more aggressive, and it gave me an incredible game afterwards. What are black's possible defenses here? And what would white's answer be to those defenses?

My first game, I played 8.c3 and didn't get that much compensation for the knight, but it was still a playable game I had a dominant position and superior development, especially if after 8.c3 Bh6 9.Bxf4, and I had a rather good game (but I played a different, inferior ninth move).

I will admit that one thing that did help me in this game is that I had played some games against Fritz before this (starting with the position 8. e5, as 7. ...Qf6 was the "critical" position that arose in my last game, and e5 was a move I picked in some GM games) and until 13. Qxf3, Fritz played the same moves, as black in this game so I guess black's defenses against this are quite limited?

 

Avatar of anaxagoras

Hi Etienne, great game!  Way to stick with it.  You are much more brave than I.Tongue out

From what I could see after analyzing your last game, instead of 9...Qxe5?, Black should try something like Qg7.

Avatar of Etienne
Yes I agree, my pawn is now "protecting" his king, and the double muzio is unplayable. I can see that white can still have some dangerous continuities here however... Looking quickly, Qxf4 looks quite menacing, even after Nh6, e6 is now quite dangerous, however we would have to check more carefully. Bxf4 is also pretty tight (better I would think) threatening Bg5, but then black has Bh6.
Avatar of farrellr

9. ... Qb6+ with a gain of tempo.

 Black has lots of great options to maintain his advantage. Trying to hold on to the f4 pawn is greedy and unnecessary.

Ways to vary include 4. (or 5.) ... Bg7, 6. (or 7.) ... Nf6, or 7. ... Be6.

White can continue to press the attack in a number of ways, but the gambit isn't very good. I might play it in a blitz game. Black has to be very careful, of course, but his extra piece gives him a winning advantage if he defends carefully. 

Avatar of Poch2013
Wow
Avatar of Jared_Anthony
anaxagoras wrote:

Hi Etienne, great game! Way to stick with it. You are much more brave than I.

From what I could see after analyzing your last game, instead of 9...Qxe5?, Black should try something like Qg7.

Correct.

Avatar of borovicka75
These are very exiting things, defense is very unpleasant for black in muzio accepted, but black can spoil the fun with not greedy 4…Bg7 and black is better.