Alessandro Salvio and his gambit
Submitted by
on Tue, 04/07/2009 at 5:45pm.
Alessandro Salvio was an Italian chess player and analyst. Born in 1570, Salvio lived a long life with successful events, of which included starting a chess academy in Naples. He also wrote two books dedicated to his chess analysis, the first was called Trattato dell'Inventione et Arte Liberale del Gioco Degli Scacchi which was published in 1604 and the second was Il Puttino, published in 1634, a story told by Salvio that took place nearly fifty years before it could be printed in letters. It was translated by George Walker and published with the title "The light and lustre of chess" in The Chess player's chronicle, 1843.
What made Alessandro Salvio's name recognizable in the chess world was his further analysis and discovery in the King's Gambit: 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. Bc4 g4 5. Ne5 Qh4+ 6. Kf1 - the Salvio Gambit.
Commentary from the 1826 book "Analysis of the game of chess" after move six explains:
"Doctor Salvio, in his treatise, printed at Naples, in the year 1723, lays down this defence of the gambit, without examining thoroughly any combination; the great number of moves which arise and succeed one another at every instant in this party, may very possibly have prevented him from analyzing and calculating this matter." (page 124)
And of course in such risky gambits there are nasty traps that one should be aware of. Here's an example from a 1620 game played by Gioachino Greco, of how White's queen can be trapped if he plays carelessly:
Below is another compelling game presented to us by the one and only Johannes Zukertort playing against Adolf Anderssen: