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King's Gambit: Muzio Gambit

Gambit67 linesYou play White

1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 g4 5.O-O. White gives a whole knight (and in the Double Muzio, the bishop on f7 too) for a massive lead in development and an attack down the f-file.

King's Gambit: Muzio Gambit after 1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 g4 5.O-O

The idea

The most violent branch of the King's Gambit. After 1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 g4 White lets the knight go with 5.O-O gxf3 6.Qxf3 and attacks with everything: the queen on f3 and bishop on c4 both point at f7, and the half-open f-file brings the rook into play at once.

What happens next

White is a piece down and must keep making threats. Typical moves are e5 to shut out the f6 square, d4 and Bxf4 to open more lines, and Nc3 followed by Nd5 or Ne4. If Black returns the piece to calm things down, White is usually fine; if Black grabs more material, White's attack often lands.

How to play against it

Black should give material back for safety: 6…Qf6 is the main defence, meeting e5 with …Qxe5 and planning …Bh6 and …Ne7 to shore up f7 and g5. Keep the queen near the king, develop the knight to e7 rather than f6, and don't take the d4 pawn until the attack has run out of steam.

A key line

1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 g4 5.O-O gxf3 6.Qxf3 Qf6 7.e5 Qf5 8.d4 Bh6 9.Bd3 Qg5 10.Nc3 Nc6 11.Qe4 Qg6 12.Qe1 Qg7 13.Bxf4 Bxf4 14.Rxf4

More lines

9.Bd3 Nxd4 10.Qd5
1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 g4 5.O-O gxf3 6.Qxf3 Qf6 7.e5 Qf5 8.d4 Nc6 9.Bd3 Nxd4 10.Qd5
9.Bd3 Qe6 10.Nc3 Nxd4 …
1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 g4 5.O-O gxf3 6.Qxf3 Qf6 7.e5 Qf5 8.d4 Nc6 9.Bd3 Qe6 10.Nc3 Nxd4 11.Qxf4 Bc5 12.Kh1
15.Qd5 Ne7 16.Bg5
1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 g4 5.O-O gxf3 6.Qxf3 Qf6 7.e5 Qxe5 8.Bxf7+ Kd8 9.Nc3 Bc5+ 10.d4 Bxd4+ 11.Kh1 d6 12.Bxf4 Qg7 13.Nb5 Bb6 14.Rad1 Nd7 15.Qd5 Ne7 16.Bg5
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