Should You Play the Ponziani?

    Ponziani, the Man: 

    Domenico Lorenzo Ponziani (1719 – 1796) was an Italian law professor, priest, chess player, composer and theoretician. He was born in Modena and in 1742 he graduated with a law degree from the University of San Carlo and was admitted to the College of Advocates in 1745. He was Professor of Civil Law at the University of Modena from 1742 to 1772 when he retired taking a pension and receiving the title of Honorary Professor. 

    In 1764 Ponziani took orders as a priest un the Catholic Church and quickly began receiving promotions. Ponziani died in Modena and is buried in the Modena Cathedra.

    Ponziani was friend with tqo local chess players and writers and the trio is known as the Modenese Masters. In 1769 Ponziani published the first edition of Il giuoco incomparabile degli scacchi (The Incomparable Game of Chess). The second edition in 1782 was a much improved version and laid out the principles of the Italian school of chess.

    His work was the best practical available and like writings by pther leading Italian players, Ponziani dealt only with opening and endgame and nothing on the middlegame. Ponziani espoused the Ponziani Opening (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3), although he did not originate it as it was published by Lucena around 1497.

 

    The Opening: 

    The answer to, “Should you play the Ponziani” is, “Probably not.” At least not if you are a Master, but for the rest of us it’s probably as playable as anything. After all, most of us are not as good as Howard Staunton who was considered to be the world’s strongest player from 1834 to 1853 and he advocated the opening.

    Although the opening was advocated by Staunton, today it is considered inferior and it’s rarely seen even in non-Master play. In my database a ChessBase opening report shows that white scores below average with a +306 (34%), -276 (30%) and =331 (36%). It is also mentioned that endgames are often reached. 

 

    Moves and Plans 

    a) 3...d6 

         Black scores well (59%). 

         White should play 4.d4 

    b) 3...d5 

        Black scores well (53%). 

        White’s best reply is 4.Qa4 

    c) 3...Nge7 

        Black scores well (56%). 

        White should play 4.Bb5 

    d) 3...Nf6 

        Black scores average (46%). 

        White’s best reply is 4.d4

    e) 3...f5 

         Black scores average (44%). 

          White should play4.d4 

     f) 3...Be7 

         Black scores badly (29%). 

         White should play 4.d4 

     

In the following game GM Dragoljub Velimirovic (1942-2014), a wild attacker, used the Ponziani to defeat another sharp attacker GM Milan Matulovic (1935-2013). 

 

[Event "Yugoslav Cup, Ulcinj"] [Site "Ulcinj"] [Date "1997.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Dragoljub Velimirovic"] [Black "Milam Matulovic"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C44"] [WhiteElo "2485"] [BlackElo "2440"] [Annotator "Stockfih 16"] [PlyCount "83"] [EventDate "1997.??.??"] {C44: Ponziani Opening} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3 Nf6 {[%mdl 32] Black does better with either 3...d5 or 4...Nge7} 4. d4 d6 (4... Nxe4 {results in full equality after} 5. Bd3 d5 6. Nxe5 Nxe5 7. dxe5 Bc5 8. O-O O-O) 5. h3 g6 (5... Be7 6. Be3 O-O 7. d5 Nb8 8. Bd3 Nbd7 9. c4 {is equal. Velimirovic,D (2515)-Tal, M (2615) Teslic 1979} Nc5 {0-1 (44)}) (5... Nxe4) 6. d5 (6. Be3 Bg7 7. dxe5 dxe5 8. Qxd8+ Nxd8 9. Nbd2 O-O 10. Nxe5 {White has a slight advantage. Velimirovic,D (2515)-Harandi,K (2410) Rio de Janeiro 1979}) 6... Ne7 7. Bd3 Bg7 8. c4 Nd7 9. Nc3 Nc5 10. Bc2 a5 11. Be3 O-O 12. g4 f5 {This opens up the K-side and results in black having difficulties. The routine 12...Bd7 was safe. } 13. Rg1 {Slightly more accurate would have been 13.gxf5 first.} Nxe4 14. Nxe4 fxe4 $14 15. Bxe4 Kh8 16. Qe2 c6 17. O-O-O cxd5 18. cxd5 b6 19. Kb1 $18 Ng8 20. Ng5 Nf6 21. Bc2 a4 22. Qb5 {While this is hardly a mistake, he misses the much better 22.Ne6! Of course ut takes an engine to see that.} (22. Ne6 { Sacrificing a P for a strong attack n black's K.} Bxe6 23. dxe6 Qe7 24. h4 Qxe6 25. h5 gxh5 26. gxh5 Rf7 27. h6 Bf8 28. f4 {Another fime move by Stockfish!} exf4 29. Qf3 fxe3 30. Qxa8 {and white has a decisive advantgae...so says Stockfish.}) 22... Qe7 {Slightly better was 22...Rxa5 then after 23.Qxb6 he could ecchange Qs easing his defensive burden.} 23. Qb4 {This allows black to equalize. Both 23.Qxb6, 23.Bxb6 or 23.Bxa4 were god.} (23. Ne6 {As before, this is best.} Bxe6 24. dxe6 Qxe6 25. Bxa4 {and white is better.}) 23... Bb7 { [%mdl 2048]} 24. Be4 a3 (24... Nxe4 {is unsatisfactory.} 25. Nxe4 Ra5 26. Qxd6 Qxd6 27. Nxd6 Ba8 28. Nc4 Rxd5 29. Nxb6 Rxd1+ 30. Rxd1 {White's better P-formation gives him the advantage.}) 25. b3 Rac8 {Although this move looks quite reasonbable it should not have work out well.} (25... Ra5 {attacking the d-Pawn assures black of equality.} 26. Qxb6 Rxd5 27. Bxd5 Bxd5 28. Qb5 Bg8 { Black only has a B+P for the R, but his preponderance in the center is sufficient compensation. Shootout games were very tricky and white scored +1 -2 =2 so the evaluation should probably be "unclear."}) 26. f3 $16 Bh6 27. h4 { [%mdl 32]} Nxe4 28. fxe4 Qd7 29. Rc1 {The trade of Rs dissapates most of white's advantage. Correct was the aforementioned Qxb6, but the P should not have been taken with the B.} (29. Bxb6 Bxg5 30. hxg5 Rf4 {Here at least black has some play.}) (29. Qxb6 Qc7 30. Qxc7 Rxc7 31. Bc1 Bxg5 32. hxg5 Ra8 33. Bd2 {and after 34.Bb4 black is under great pressure.}) 29... Rxc1+ 30. Bxc1 { [%mdl 32] The threat is 31.Ne6 so...} Bxg5 31. hxg5 Ba6 32. Bxa3 Bd3+ 33. Ka1 Rf4 {Although it's probably too late to save the game 33...Rd8 was a better defense.} 34. Qxb6 {Taking on d6 was also good, but this gives him two connected passed Ps.} Rxe4 35. Qb8+ {White mates.} Kg7 36. Bxd6 {All that's left is for white to mop up.} h5 37. Qf8+ Kh7 38. Qh6+ Kg8 39. Qxg6+ Qg7 40. Qe8+ Kh7 41. Qxh5+ Kg8 42. Qe8+ 1-0