Ponziani Opening - 3...Bc5 Lines
After 3...Bc5, Black often falls for the trap with 6...d6 and 7...Ne5, letting you play 8.Qa4+ and win the bishop pair with 9.Qxb4. Follow up with Qd4 and f4, preparing e5 while pressing Black's backward c7 pawn. Watch for Black grabbing material with 4...exd4, which only helps you after 5.cxd4. Aim for a safe king on c1, the bishop pair, and lasting pressure on the half-open c-file.
Let's learn the 3...Bc5 Lines! Black plays an early bishop move that leaves it open to attack. We strike at it with our central pawns. Let's begin with 1.e4.
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Key lines
The free lines of this chapter, each one trainable move by move.
- Trap: 3...Bc5, you win a piece
… 9... Nxf3+ 10. gxf3 Nf6 11. Be3 b6 12. O-O-O
- 5...Bb6
… 5. cxd4 Bb6 6. Bg5 Nge7 7. d5 Nb8 8. d6 cxd6 9. Nc3 Bc7 10. Bc4
- 5...Bb6
… 5. cxd4 Bb6 6. Bg5 f6 7. Be3 d6 8. d5 Ne5 9. Bxb6 Nxf3+ 10. Qxf3 axb6 11. Bb5+ Bd7 12. Qh5+ g6 13. Bxd7+ Qxd7 14. Qf3
- 5...Bb6
… 5. cxd4 Bb6 6. Bg5 f6 7. Be3 d5 8. exd5 Qxd5 9. Nc3 Qd8 10. Bb5
- 5...Bb6
… 5. cxd4 Bb6 6. Bg5 f6 7. Be3 Nge7 8. d5 Bxe3 9. fxe3 Ne5 10. Nxe5 fxe5 11. Bc4
- 6...Nf6
… 6. Nc3 Nf6 7. Bd3 O-O 8. e5
- 6...d5
… 6. Nc3 d5 7. exd5 Qxd5 8. Be2 Bg4 9. O-O Bxc3 10. bxc3 O-O-O 11. c4
- 6...d5
… 6. Nc3 d5 7. exd5 Qxd5 8. Be2 Nf6 9. O-O Bxc3 10. bxc3 O-O 11. Bf4 Qa5 12. c4
Other chapters
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. e5 Nd5 6. Bc4 Nb6 7. Bb3 dxc3 8. Nxc3 Bb4 9. O-O O-O 10. Qd3 d6 11. e6
4...exd4 Lines (after 3...Nf6 4.d4)
Black meets 4.d4 with 4...exd4, entering Jaenisch Counterattack lines. Reply 5.e5 to kick the knight, then develop with Bc4, Bb3, Nxc3, O-O, and Qd3 aiming for h4. Watch for 10...Re8?, which lets you win the queen with Ng5. Push e6, follow with Ng5 and Bxe6+ for a kingside majority, then Qh3 brings a winning attack.
15 lines1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3 Nf6 4. d4 Nxe4 5. d5 Ne7 6. Nxe5 d6 7. Bb5+ c6 8. dxc6 bxc6 9. Nxc6 Qb6 10. Nd4+ Bd7 11. Bxd7+ Kxd7 12. O-O
4...Nxe4 Lines (after 3...Nf6 4.d4)
Black grabs your e4 pawn with 4...Nxe4 after 3...Nf6. Push 5.d5 to kick the knight, then recapture with 6.Nxe5. Watch for the common mistake 6...d6, met by 7.Bb5+ to win material. Aim for a position with a queenside majority against Black's isolated d-pawn.
10 lines1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3 d6 4. d4 exd4 5. cxd4 Bg4 6. Be2 Nf6 7. h3 Bh5 8. d5 Ne5 9. Qa4+ Ned7 10. g4 Bg6 11. Nc3
3...d6 Lines
Facing the Ponziani with 3...d6, meet 4...exd4 with 5.cxd4 and develop normally. After ...Bg4, ...Nf6, play Be2, h3, then d5 to kick the c6 knight. If ...Ne5, hit it with Qa4+, then push g4, h4, and g5 to open the kingside. Aim for active piece play against Black's queenside majority.
5 lines1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3 d5 4. exd5 Qxd5 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bg4 7. Be2 O-O-O 8. Nc3 Bb4 9. O-O Bxc3 10. bxc3 Nf6 11. Be3 Ne4 12. Qc2
3...d5 Lines
After 6...Bg4 7.Be2 O-O-O 8.Nc3 Bb4 9.O-O Bxc3 10.bxc3, you gain the bishop pair. Push c4, d5, Qb2 and a4, hitting g7. Aim for central space and a winning attack.
12 lines
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