1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3
Shown from White's side. ECO C44.
Opening guide · an opening for White
Ponziani Opening
The Ponziani Opening starts 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3. White prepares to build a full pawn centre with d4. The drawback is that the pawn on c3 takes the natural square from the queen's knight, and Black can strike back at once in the centre with 3...d5 or 3...Nf6.
- Games in our sample
- 14,441
- White wins
- 50.1%
- Draws
- 4.0%
- Black wins
- 45.9%
How the Ponziani Opening scores at each rating
Each row is one rating band. The share is how much of all the games in that band started with this opening.
| Rating | Games | Share | White wins | Draws | Black wins | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| under 1000 | 1,220 | 0.5% | 50.5% | 3.5% | 46.0% | |
| 1000 to 1199 | 1,940 | 0.6% | 50.3% | 4.3% | 45.5% | |
| 1200 to 1399 | 2,713 | 0.6% | 51.2% | 4.1% | 44.7% | |
| 1400 to 1599 | 3,190 | 0.5% | 50.8% | 3.7% | 45.5% | |
| 1600 to 1799 | 3,017 | 0.5% | 49.9% | 4.4% | 45.8% | |
| 1800 to 1999 | 1,706 | 0.3% | 47.7% | 3.6% | 48.7% | |
| 2000 to 2199 | 509 | 0.2% | 48.5% | 4.3% | 47.2% | |
| 2200 and over | 146 | 0.1% | 46.6% | 8.2% | 45.2% | |
| All ratings | 14,441 | 0.5% | 50.1% | 4.0% | 45.9% |
Counted from 3,156,949 rated blitz, rapid and classical games played on Lichess from 2026-10-01 to 2026-10-02 (the first 5,000,000 games of the month's public file; bullet and unrated games left out). The rating is the average of the two players' Lichess ratings. Source: the Lichess open database (public domain).
Main lines
The named lines of the Ponziani Opening that were played most in our sample, each with the position it reaches.
Jaenisch Counterattack
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3 Nf6
6,316 games · White 49.4% · draws 4.0% · Black 46.7%
Analyse this positionNeumann Gambit
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3 Nf6 4. Bc4
1,354 games · White 48.3% · draws 4.4% · Black 47.3%
Analyse this positionPonziani Countergambit
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3 f5
359 games · White 46.8% · draws 3.1% · Black 50.1%
Analyse this position
Ideas for White
- Play d4 next. If Black takes, recapture with the c pawn to keep two pawns in the centre.
Ideas for Black
- 3...Nf6 attacks e4 at once.
- 3...d5 opens the centre while the pawn on c3 is in the way of White's knight.
Questions
- What are the moves of the Ponziani Opening?
- 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3. In the ECO classification it is filed under C44.
- How does the Ponziani Opening score?
- In 14,441 games with it in our sample, White won 50.1%, 4.0% were drawn and Black won 45.9%.
- At which ratings is the Ponziani Opening played most?
- Among players rated 1000 to 1199 it is 0.6% of all games in our sample, its highest share. Its lowest share, 0.1%, is among players rated 2200 and over.
- Which line of the Ponziani Opening is played most?
- Ponziani Opening: Jaenisch Counterattack (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3 Nf6), with 6,316 games in our sample.