Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...e5/2. Nf3/2...Nc6/3. c3
| Ponziani Opening | |
|---|---|
|
a b c d e f g h 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 a b c d e f g h | |
Position in Forsyth-Edwards Notation (FEN) | |
| Moves: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3 | |
| ECO code: C44 | |
| Parent: King's Pawn Game | |
| Responses: | |
3. c3 · Ponziani opening
[edit | edit source]3. c3 is the Ponziani opening. White announces they are determined to achieve 4. d4. It also opens up a diagonal allowing the queen to reach a5. The cost of c3, supporting d4, is that Nc3 is unavailable.
By not having played Nc3, White's e4 pawn is loose. The strongest replies for Black therefore are those that target e4: either 3...Nf6 or 3...d5. After a move like 3...d6 or 3...Bc5? (a common amateur mistake), White plays 4. d4 and secures their two pawn centre with smug satisfaction.
After 3...Nf6, the Jaenisch Counterattack, White typically plays 4. d4 anyway and Black typically takes one or the other central pawn. The resulting games can have very different flavours, from quiet and drawish where White has a small space advantage, to the razor-sharp Vuković Gambit line which quickly devolves into turmoil.
With 3...d5, Black threatens dxe4, taking advantage of the fact that, if 4. exd5 Qxd5, Nc3 is not an option to chase the queen away. White responds 4. Qa4, pinning Black's knight, and the game diverges depending on how Black chooses to defend their e5 pawn.
The final way Black has to target e4 is 3...f5!?, the Ponziani Countergambit. An aggressive sideline of different character, it is thought to give White an advantage if theory is known.
Together, these moves targeting e4 cover more than 90% of third moves for Black. A few other sidelines include the above mentioned 3...d6, unusual in master-level play but common at the amateur level; 3...Nge7?!, the Réti variation, the point of which apparently being that after 4. d4 exd4 5. cxd4 d5, 6. e5 does not come with tempo on the knight; and 3...Be7?!, which was tried by Oleg Romanishin in the 70s and highlighted in Batsford's as equalising,[1] but which modern engines find suspect and never caught on.
History
[edit | edit source]The Ponziani is a very old opening, described in the 15th century. It is a poor relation of the Spanish or Italian games, with many players considering Black to equalise after 3... d5. It has retained some place as a surprise or blitz weapon but is not seen at the highest level of chess.
It captured the imagination of 19th century chess master Howard Staunton, who called it "so full of interest and variety, that its omission in many of the leading works on the game is truly unaccountable."[2] while Morphy and others scoffed.
Bruce Pandolfini summarised the credibility of the opening thus: "every great teacher of openings who investigated the Ponziani has concluded that it leads to interesting play and deserves to be played more often. Yet it has never captured the fancy of chessplayers in general."[3]
Theory table
[edit | edit source]
1.e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3
| 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caro gambit | ... d5 |
Qa5 Bd7 |
exd5 Nd4 |
Qd1 Nxf3+ |
Qxf3 f5 (Nf6) |
d4 e4 |
Qd1 Bd6 |
c4 b6 |
Nc3 Nf6 |
=/∞[1] |
| Steinitz variation | ... ... |
... f6 |
Bb5 (d3) Nge7 |
exd5 Qxd5 |
d4 e4 |
c4 Qd7 |
d5 exf3 |
gxf3 Qh3 |
dxc4 b6 |
∞[1] |
| Leonhardt variation | ... ... |
... Nf6 |
Nxe5 Bd6 |
Nxc6 bxc6 |
d4 Nxe4 |
Qxc6+ Bd7 |
Qxd5 O-O |
= | ||
| Jaenisch counterattack | ... Nf6 |
d4 exd4 |
e5 Nd5 |
Qb3 Nb6 |
cxd4 d6 |
⩲ | ||||
| ... ... |
... Nxe4 |
d5 Ne7 |
Nxe5 Ng6 |
Nxg6 hxg6 |
⩲ | |||||
| ... ... |
... ... |
.. Nb8 |
Nxe5 Bd6 |
Qd4 O-O |
Qxe4 Bxe5 |
Be2 Re8 |
Qd3 d6 |
Be3 Na6 |
=[1] | |
| Vukovic gambit | ... ... |
... ... |
... Bc5 |
dxc6 Bxf2+ |
Ke2 Bb6 |
Qd5 Nf2 |
cxb7 Bxb7 |
Qxb7 Nxh1 |
∞ | |
| Ponziani countergambit | ... f5 |
d4 fxe4 |
Nxe5 Nf6 |
Bb5 Bd6 |
Ng4 O-O |
⩲ | ||||
| ... ... |
... ... |
... Qf6 |
Ng4 Qg6 |
Bf4 d6 |
Ne3 Nf6 |
Na3 Be7 |
Qb3 a6 |
Nac2 Nd8 |
⩲[1] |
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ a b c d e Kasparov, Gary; Keene, Raymond (1986) [First published 1982]. Batsford Chess Openings (4th ed.). London: B.T.Batsford Ltd. pp. 299–300. ISBN 0 7134 2114 2.
- ↑ Staunton, Howard (1847). "II.IX The Queen's Bishop's Pawn Game in the King's Knight Opening". The Chess-Player's Handbook. London: George Bell & Sons. pp. 182–193.
- ↑ Pandolfini, Bruce (1989). "4. Unusual Openings". Chess Openings: Traps and Zaps. New York: Simon & Schuster. pp. 88–90, 106–111. ISBN 0 671 65690 2.
See also
[edit | edit source]
- Taylor, Dave; Hayward, Keith (2010). Play the Ponziani. London: Everyman Chess. ISBN 1 8574 4620 8.