Ponziani Opening - Illustrative Games

Illustrative Games

Here is a quiet draw typical of the 3...Nf6 line:

V. Medvedev (2365) versus Charles Milgram (2375), ICCF 1991
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 13.0-0 0-0 14. Re1 Bf6 15.Be3 Bd7 ½–½

While this game was agreed drawn there are good winning chances for White in this type of endgame.

Here is a recent game indicating that the 3.c3 Nf6 line is not always dull or passive:

Ponziani Power Team versus The Radical Ruy Lopez Team, 2012 (a voted game played on chess.com)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 Nf6 4.d4 Nxe4 5.d5 Bc5 6.dxc6 Bxf2+ 7.Ke2 bxc6 8.Qa4! This move prevents 8...Ba6+ and 8...d5, and gives the white king space to run from trouble. f5 9.Nbd2 Nxd2? 10.Bxd2 Bc5 10...Bb6? would lose the queen to 11.Bg5. 11.Nxe5! Qe7 12.Re1! Now if Black plays 12...Qxe5+ then 13.Kd1 wins the black queen. White won in 15 moves.

The variation 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 Nge7 has also been attributed to Reti due to his braving it against Tartakower, although he was soundly defeated in the game. Recent analysis gives White the edge, i.e. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 Nge7 4.Bc4 (putting immediate pressure on Black's f2-square) d5 5.exd5 Nxd5 and now either 6.0-0 or 6.Qb3 lead to a White advantage. Also playable for White is 4. Bb5 which leads to the Ruy Lopez Cozio Defense by Black.

Here are two games illustrating the wild tactical play that often develops in the 3...d5 4.Qa4 f6 5.Bb5 Ne7 line:

Chigorin vs. Gossip, 1889

	a	b	c	d	e	f	g	h
8									8
7									7
6									6
5									5
4									4
3									3
2									2
1									1
	a	b	c	d	e	f	g	h

Position after 12...Ke7?

• Mikhail Chigorin versus George H.D. Gossip, New York 1889
  1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 d5 3...Nf6 is the safest response if Black is not well versed in the ensuing complications—as Gossip proves not to be. 4.Qa4 f6 5.Bb5 Ne7 6.exd5 Qxd5 7.0-0 7.d4! is the main line today. Bd7? 7...e4! 8.Ne1 Bf5 9.f3 leads to equality. 8.d4 e4 9.Nfd2 Ng6? 9...f5! or 9...0-0-0 was better. 10.Bc4 Qa5 11.Qb3 f5? 11...0-0-0! was the best chance. 12.Bf7+ Ke7? 12...Kd8 is forced. 13.Nc4! Setting up a problem-like finish. Qa6 14.Bg5+! Kxf7 15.Nd6# 1–0 Black's king cannot escape the double check.

• S. Kaouras versus 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 very aggressively. 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.