plays badly. ... White practically surrenders the privilege of the first move." More recently, Graham Burgess called the Ponziani "a relic from a bygone age, popular neither at top level nor at club level". Bruce Pandolfini has said, Curiously, every great teacher of openings who investigated the Ponziani has concluded that it leads to interesting play and deserves to be played more often. Yet it has never captured the fancy of chessplayers in general, and it remains to be seen whether the Ponziani is an opening of the past or of the future. In Chess Master vs. Chess Amateur, Max Euwe and Walter Meiden wrote, "What should one do with this opening? It is no opening for beginners, because tactics predominate in the play. There are no simple strategic principles to govern the general lines in this opening." Variations After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 the main continuations are: 3...Nf6, the Jaenisch Variation is considered Black's safest course and probably a deterrent to possible Ponziani adopters because positions arise ranging from the highly chaotic to dull passiveness. White continues 4.d4, consistent with 3.c3. 4...Nxe4 often continues 5.d5 Ne7 (5...Nb8 is also ; Black even may invest a knight with 5...Bc5 6.dxc6 Bxf2+ 7.Ke2 Bb6 8.Qd5 Nf2 9.Rg1 0-0 10.cxb7 Bxb7 11.Qxb7 Qf6 12.Na3 e4 13.Nc4 Rab8 14.Qd5 exf3+ 15.gxf3 Rfe8+ 16.Kd2 Ne4+ 17.fxe4 Bxg1=) 6.Nxe5 Ng6, (not 6...d6 when 7.Bb5+ wins ) and now either 7.Qd4 Qf6 8.Qxe4 Qxe5, a relatively new try 7.Qf3, or 7.Nxg6 hxg6 8.Qe2 Qe7 9.Bf4 d6 10.Na3 Rh5 11.0-0-0 Rf5 leads to equality according to MCO-15. 4...exd4, Black can also play this move leading to a position that can arise in the Göring Gambit, meeting 5.e5 with either 5...Nd5 or 5...Ne4, leading to more double-edged play than after 4...Nxe4. 3...d5 is an aggressive response, striking back in the center. Usually in King's Pawn openings an early ...d5 by Black would lose a tempo after exd5 Qxd5 when White plays Nc3 attacking the black queen. Here however, White is deprived of the move Nc3 as the c3-square is occupied by a pawn. 4.Bb5 is considered inferior to 4.Qa4 but the game becomes sharp with chances for both sides, although Black may emerge with advantage after 4...dxe4! 5.Nxe5 Qg5! 6. Qa4 Qxg2 7. Rf1 Bh3. 4.Qa4, White indirectly threatens the e5-pawn by pinning the knight. Black must choose either to defend the e5-pawn with 4...f6 or 4...Qd6,