Openings 1.e4 e5: open games

Ponziani Opening (3.c3): Lines, Plans and Stats by Rating

3.c3 prepares d4 so that White can take back with a pawn and keep a full center. It is an old opening that is easy to learn, but it takes the c3 square from the b1 knight and gives Black time to hit e4 at once.

For White1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3Seen in 0.4% of rated games

Lichess rating

C44Ponziani Opening

Games from this position (1600–1999): 24k

Played	Games	White · Draw · Black
41%	10k	50%46%
25%	6,225	54%42%
12%	3,012	50%46%
10%	2,498	44%52%
3%	830	43%54%
2%	591	48%48%
1%	336	56%41%
1%	327	46%50%
0.8%	184	49%46%
0.5%	116	51%46%
0.3%	70	43%13%44%

Practice as White Practice as Black

Plans for both sides

White

The plan is d4 next move. If Black lets you, recapture with the c-pawn and you have pawns on d4 and e4.
Against 3...Nf6 play 4.d4: after 4...Nxe4 5.d5 the c6 knight is chased and White gets play for the e4 pawn.
Against 3...d5 the main move is 4.Qa4, pinning the c6 knight and keeping pressure on e5.

Black

3...Nf6 is the most common reply: hit e4 before White has time to play d4.
3...d5 strikes in the center straight away. After 4.Qa4 Black usually plays ...f6 to support e5 or ...Bd7 to unpin.
3...Bc5 is fine too, but then d4 comes with tempo on the bishop, so be ready to retreat to b6.

Ponziani Opening at each rating

How often the position after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 comes up in rated Lichess games, how it scores and what players answer next.

Rating	Games (Share of games)	White · Draw · Black	Top next move
<1200	15k0.5%	50%46%	3...Nf651%
1200–1599	30k0.5%	50%46%	3...Nf644%
1600–1999	24k0.4%	50%46%	3...Nf641%
2000+	3,3170.2%	48%47%	3...Nf643%
All	73k0.4%	50%46%	3...Nf645%

What usually comes next

The most played moves from here, all ratings together. Thicker line = played more often.

Main variations

The main line. White chases the knight with d5 and wins the e5 pawn back; the position opens quickly.
Too rare in our data for numbers.
Show on the board: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 Nf6 4.d4 Nxe4 5.d5 Ne7 6.Nxe5 Ng6
White pins the knight and keeps e5 under fire; Black supports e5 with ...f6 and develops later.
175 games from this position (all ratings, any move order). White won 43%, 5% were drawn, Black won 52%.
Show on the board: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 d5 4.Qa4 f6
Black develops and lets White build the center, then counterattacks it with ...Bb4+ and ...d5.
6,494 games from this position (all ratings, any move order). White won 55%, 4% were drawn, Black won 40%.
Show on the board: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 Bc5 4.d4 exd4 5.cxd4 Bb4+
A quiet reply that keeps e5 and transposes to Philidor-like positions.
2,552 games from this position (all ratings, any move order). White won 52%, 5% were drawn, Black won 43%.
Show on the board: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 d6 4.d4 Nf6

At club level

3...Nf6 is the most common reply at every level, played in more than four games in ten. At 2000+ one in four also try 3...d5, and there White scores only about 45%.

Practice it

The trainer answers with the replies people at your rating choose, in the same proportions, and brings back your mistakes on a schedule.

Practice as White Practice as Black

Related openings

King’s Pawn Game: 1.e4 e5
1.e4 e5
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King’s Knight Opening: 2.Nf3
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Italian Game
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4
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Bishop’s Opening
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Philidor Defense
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Scotch Game
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