Bill Wall
Ponziani’s Opening (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3)
Named after Domenico Ponziani (1719-1796), this once-popular opening has been played less and less in favor of more active openings. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 Bc5 4.d3 d6 5.b4 Bb6 6.b5 Nce7 7.c4 Bg4 8.Qe2 Bxf3 9.Qxf3?? [9.gxf3 is better] 9…Bd4, trapping the Rook (Ocogmas Wall, Internet 1996) 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 d5 4.Qa4 Qd6 5.exd5 Qxd5 6.Bc4 Qe4+ 7.Kd1 Bd7?? 8.Bxf7+ Kxf7 9.Qxe4, winning the Queen (Komarek - Korn, Germany 1992) 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 d5 4.Qa4 dxe4 5.Nxe5 Qd5 6.Nxc6 Qxc6?? [Black must play 6…bxc6] 7.Bb5 wins the Queen (Sturrell - Unknown, Boras 1956) 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.e5 Ne4 6.Qe2 d5 7.exd6 Bf5?? [7… f5 is best] 8.Nbd2 Bxd6 9.Nxe4 Bxe4 10.Qxe4 and White wins a piece (Wall - Dphfrn, Internet 1997) 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 Nf6 4.d4 Nxe4 5.d5 Nb8 6.Nxe5 Bc5 7.Nd3 Bb6 8.Be2 d6?? [8…O-O looks correct] 9.Qa4+, winning the Knight (Kahn Masschaele, Postal 1988) 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 Nf6 4.d4 Nxe4 5.d5 Nb8 6.Nxe5 Qe7 7.Qd4 d6 8.Qxe4 f5 9.Bb5+ Kd8?? [9…Bd7 may be best here] 10.Bg5, threatening 11.Nf7 mate (Balabanov - Moros, Frunse 1984) Page 68