About the only time I've seen wide tires do really well in mud is when they're being spun by a lot of horsepower. Watching a K5 Blazer with a built 427 out of a 71 Corvette skate down a mud bog is a sight to see. Hearing that big V8 spool up the 3800RPM stall torque converter in the TH400 and then singing as it shot down the bog was simply amazing. It was almost like a top fuel dragster going down a 1/4 mile. Watching him try to stop after he got to the end of the bog is fun to watch too. Texas rednecks are fun to watch, that's for sure.
I seemed to do pretty well in the mud with skinny tires when they sunk to the bottom and found dirt to bite on. I often did better than the guys with wide tires too. Trouble is, they would always dig out ruts trying to get out and I would high center on those ruts. But it was nothing the winch couldn't handle. I never did think about putting chains on the tires but it makes sense.