Ponziani Opening

] Today the opening bears the surname of Domenico Lorenzo Ponziani. Although Ponziani did analyze the opening in 1769, his principal contribution was the introduction of the countergambit 3...f5!? [Howard Staunton, "The Chess-Player's Handbook", Henry G. Bohn, 1848, p. 182.] Later the opening was favored by Howard Staunton, who in "The Chess-Player's Handbook", first published in 1847, called it "so full of interest and variety, that its omission in many of the leading works on the game is truly unaccountable. ... it deserves, and, if we mistake not, will yet attain a higher place in the category of legitimate openings than has hitherto been assigned to it". [Staunton 1848, p. 182.]

Staunton cumbersomely referred to the opening as "The Queen's Bishop's Pawn Game in the King's Knight's Opening", [Staunton 1848, p. 182.] as did George H.D. Gossip in "The Chess Player's Manual" (1888, American edition 1902). [G.H.D. Gossip and S. Lipschütz, "The Chess Player's Manual", David McKay, 1902, p. 237.] Napoleon Marache, one of the leading American players, similarly called it the "Queen's Bishop's Pawn Game" in his 1866 manual. [N. Marache, "Marache's Manual of Chess", Dick & Fitzgerald, 1866, p. 78.] In their treatise "Chess Openings Ancient and Modern" (1889, 1896), E. Freeborough and the Reverend C.E. Ranken called it "Staunton's Opening". [E. Freeborough and C.E. Ranken, "Chess Openings Ancient and Modern", First Edition, Trübner and Co., 1889, p. 43.] [E. Freeborough and C.E. Ranken, "Chess Openings Ancient and Modern", Third Edition, Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner and Co., 1896, p. 45.] In an appendix to later editions of Staunton's work, R.F. Green, editor of the British Chess Magazine, called it "Staunton's Opening", directing those seeking a definition of "Ponziani's Game" to the former name. [Howard Staunton, "The Chess-Player's Handbook", George Bell & Sons, 1890, pp. 534, 537. In his own treatise "Chess", Green only used the term "Staunton's Opening". R.F. Green, "Chess", George Bell & Sons, 1908 (reprint of 1889 1st ed.), p. 56.] Green referred to 3...f5 as "Ponziani's Counter Gambit". [Staunton 1890, p. 534.] Chess historian H.J.R. Murray in his celebrated 1913 work "A History of Chess" called the opening simply the "Staunton", [H.J.R. Murray, "A History of Chess", Oxford University Press, 1913, p. 784. ISBN 0-19-827403-3.] explaining that he was using "the ordinary names of the Openings as used by English players of the present day". [Murray, p. 784 n. 10.] James Mason in his treatise "The Art of Chess" (Fourth Edition c. 1910?) referred to the opening as the "Ponziani-Staunton Attack". [James Mason, "The Art of Chess", Fourth Edition, David McKay, c. 1910?, p. 359.] The famous German "Handbuch des Schachspiels", which went through eight editions between 1843 and 1916, called it the "Englisches Springerspiel" (English Knight's Game). [Paul Rudolf von Bilguer, Tassilo von Heydebrand und der Lasa, and Carl Schlechter, "Handbuch des Schachspiels", Walter de Gruyter & Co., 1916, p. 581.] The Reverend E.E. Cunnington in "The Modern Chess Primer" (Thirteenth Edition 1933) referred to it as the "Ponziani Opening (sometimes called Staunton's)." [Rev. E.E. Cunnington, "The Modern Chess Primer", David McKay, 13th ed. 1933, p. 181.]

Wilhelm Steinitz, the first World Champion, in his 1895 treatise "The Modern Chess Instructor" (Part II), inaccurately called the opening the "Ponziani Opening", [Wilhelm Steinitz, "The Modern Chess Instructor", Edition Olms AG, Zürich, 1990 (reprint), Part II (originally published in 1895), p. 1. ISBN 3-283-00111-1. Steinitz wrote that it "is also called the English Knight's Game, or Staunton's Opening". "Id."] as did his successor, Emanuel Lasker, in "Lasker's Manual of Chess". [Dr. Emanuel Lasker, "Lasker's Manual of Chess", Dover Publications, 1960, p. 53.] Similarly, the authors of Modern Chess Openings (Second Edition 1913) [R.C. Griffith and J.H. White, "Modern Chess Openings", Second Edition, Longmans, Green and Co., 1913, p. 81.] and Siegbert Tarrasch in "The Game of Chess" (1931, English translation 1938) [Siegbert Tarrasch, "The Game of Chess", David McKay, 1938, p. 299.] called it "Ponziani's Opening", and William Cook in "The Chess Players' Compendium" (Fifth Edition 1910) called it "Ponziani's Game". [William Cook, "The Chess Players' Compendium", David McKay, 1910, p. 87.] Contemporary authors likewise call it the "Ponziani Opening", [John Nunn, Graham Burgess, John Emms, and Joe Gallagher, "Nunn's Chess Openings", Everyman Publishers, 1999, p. 306. ISBN 1-85744-221-0.] [Larry Kaufman, "The Chess Advantage in Black and White", David McKay, 2004, p. 342. ISBN 0-8129-3571-3.] "Ponziani's Opening", [Nick de Firmian, "Modern Chess Openings, 15th Edition" (commonly referred to as "MCO-15"), McKay Chess Library, 2008, p. 135. ISBN 978-0-8129-3682-7.] or simply "the Ponziani". [Garry Kasparov and Raymond Keene, "Batsford Chess Openings 2", Collier Books, 1989, pp. 366-67. ISBN 0-02-033991-7.]

Modern perspective

Graham Burgess calls the Ponziani "a relic from a bygone age, popular neither at top level nor at club level". [Graham Burgess, "The Mammoth Book of Chess", Carroll & Graf, 1997, p. 133. ISBN 0-7867-0725-9.] It is rarely played today except as a surprise weapon, because Black has the pleasant choice between equalizing easily and attempting to obtain an advantage with sharper play. White's third move prepares to build a powerful center with 4.d4. This is a logical objective, also seen in the more popular Ruy Lopez and Giuoco Piano. However, 3.c3 is somewhat premature because (1) it takes away the most natural square for White's queen knight [Tarrasch, p. 299.] and (2) White, being uncastled, is not well placed to meet a counterattack in the center. Moreover, unlike in the Giuoco Piano, where White's d4 advance attacks Black's king's bishop on c5, in the Ponziani d4 will not gain a tempo. International Master Larry Kaufman has observed that it is not clear to whom the opening should appeal, since White must be prepared for both "boring drawish play" after 3...Nf6 and "spectacularly exciting lines" after 3...d5. [Kaufman, p. 342.]

Main variations

* 3...d5 4.Qa4
** 4...Bd7 (Caro Variation)
** 4...f6 (Steinitz Variation)
** 4...Nf6 (Leonhardt Variation)
* 3...d5 4.Bb5
* 3...f5 (Ponziani Countergambit)
* 3...Nf6 (Jaenisch Variation)
* 3...Nge7 (Kmoch Variation)

Black's most aggressive response is 3...d5, striking back in the center. Black players unfamiliar with these lines should be careful as after 4.Qa4 Black must either reinforce the center with 4...f6 (Steinitz Variation) or be prepared to sacrifice a pawn with either 4...Bd7 (Caro Variation) or 4...Nf6 (Leonhardt Variation). If White instead plays 4.Bb5 the game becomes sharp with chances for both sides.

The Ponziani Countergambit (3...f5) is another aggressive Black response. Positions somewhat resemble those seen in the Latvian Gambit, but in a more favorable incarnation for Black, since 3.c3 does not aids White's development and blocks his queen knight from developing to that square.

Black's safest course is 3...Nf6 (Jaenisch Variation). Play often continues 4.d4 Nxe4 5.d5 Ne7 (5...Nb8 is also playable) 6.Nxe5 Ng6, and now either 7.Qd4 Qf6 8.Qxe4 Qxe5 or 7.Nxg6 hxg6 8.Qe2 Qe7 9.Bf4 d6 10.Na3 Rh5 11.0-0-0 Rf5 leads to equality according to "MCO-15". ["MCO-15", p. 136.]

The unusual 3...Nge7 (Kmoch Variation) was advocated by International Master Hans Kmoch. According to Reuben Fine, citing analysis by Kmoch, Black equalizes after 4.d4 exd4 5.Bc4 d5 6.exd5 Nxd5 7.0-0 Be7 8.Nxd4 Nxd4 9.cxd4 Be6. [Reuben Fine, "Practical Chess Openings", David McKay, 1948, p. 141.]

Illustrative games

Here is a quiet draw typical of the 3...Nf6 line: V. Medvedev (2365)-Charles Milgram (2375), ICCF 1991 [ [http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1338350 Valery Vladimirovich Medvedev vs Charles Milgram, 1991] ChessGames.com] 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 Nf6 4.d4 Nxe4 5.d5 Ne7 6.Nxe5 Ng6 7.Qd4 Qf6 8.Qxe4 Qxe5 9.Qxe5+ Nxe5 10.Nd2 d6 11.Nc4 Nxc4 12.Bxc4 Be7 13.O-O O-O 14. Re1 Bf6 15.Be3 Bd7 1/2-1/2

Here is a game illustrating the wild play that often develops after 3...d5: S. Kaouras-R. Vorlop, e-mail 2003 1.e4 Nc6 2.Nf3 e5 3.c3 d5 4.Qa4 f6 5.Bb5 Nge7 6.exd5 Qxd5 7.d4 7.0–0 is considered the main line, e.g. 7...Bd7 8 d4 a6!? (8...exd4 9.cxd4 Ne5 10.Bxd7+Qxd7 is equal) 9.c4 Qf7 10.d5 Nb8 11.Bxd7+ Nxd7 12.Nc3 Nf5 13.b4 gave White the advantage in S. Hassan-B. Amin, Cairo 2003. 7...e4 Alternatives are the old move, 7...Bd7, and 7...Bg4, which is currently popular at the international level. 8.c4 Qd7 9.Nfd2 Qxd4 10.0–0 Bd7 11.Nc3 a6 12.Nb3 Qe5 13.c5 f5 14.g3 Ng6 15.Rd1 Be7 16.Bc4 Nd4 Now White appears to be in deep trouble. 17.Qxd7+! The best practical choice, which inspires White to play veryaggressively. 17...Kxd7 18.Be3 Nh4 If 18...Kc8, 19.Bxd4 traps Black's queen. 19.gxh4 Kc8 20.Bxd4 White has three pieces for the queen and the initiative; Black's pieces are uncoordinated. 20...Qf4 21.Be6+ Kb8 22.Ne2 Qf3 23.Ng3 Bxh4 24.Be3 g6 24...f4? 25.Nd2 traps the queen. 25.Rd7 Bf6 26.c6 b5 27.Rd5 Re8 28.Nc5 Bg7 29.Rad1! White creates a mating net by threatening Rd8+. 29...Ka7 30.Rd7 Be5 31.Bxf5 gxf5 32.Nb7+ Qxe3 33.fxe3 Having regained the queen, White has a winning material advantage. 33...f4 34.exf4 Bxf4 35.Nd6 Bxd6 36.R1xd6 Kb6 37.Rd1 Re6 38.Re1 e3 39.Rxh7 Rae8 40.Rg7 Kxc6 41.Re2 Re5 42.Nf1 Kd5 43.Kg2 c5 44.Rg3 Kd4 45.h4 c4 46.Rexe3 Rxe3 47.Nxe3 Kd3 48.Kh3 Kd2 49.Nd5 Kc1 50.Rg2 Re5 51.Nf4 b4 52.h5 Kb1 53.h6 Re8 54.Kg4 Rh8 55.Kg5 c3 56.bxc3 bxc3 57.Rh2 c2 58.Nd3 1–0 Notes based on those by International Master Gary Lane.

Here is a sharp recent grandmaster game in the 3...f5 line: Hikaru Nakamura-Julio Becerra-Rivero, U.S. Championship 2007 [ [http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1461885 Hikaru Nakamura vs Julio J Becerra-Rivero,US Championship 2007] ChessGames.com] 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 f5 4.d4 fxe4 5.Nxe5 Nf6 6.Bb5 Bd6 7.Nc4 Be7 8.Ba4 d5 9.Ne5 O-O 10.Bxc6 bxc6 11.Nxc6 Qe8 12.Nxe7+ Qxe7 13.O-O Ng4 14.h3 e3 15.Bxe3 Nxe3 16.fxe3 Bxh3 17.Rf3 Bg4 18.Rxf8+ Rxf8 19.Qe1 Rf6 20.Nd2 Rg6 21.Qg3 Qe6 22.Qf4 Bh3 23.g3 h5 24.e4 Rg4 25.Qxc7 h4 26.Kh2 hxg3+ 27.Kxh3 Rxe4+ 28.Kg2 Re2+ 29.Kxg3 Qe3+ 30.Kh4 Qh6+ 31.Kg3 Qg5+ 32.Kh3 Rxd2 33.Qc8+ Kh7 0-1

References