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Ponziani Update 14
03.02.2001
[David Taylor]
Ponziani Update #14
by David Taylor
This update is mostly taken from the section on the Ponziani Opening at the
Kasparov website.
1.e4
e5
2.Nf3
Nc6
3.c3
Nf6
4.d4
Nxe4
5.d5
Nb8
[ 5...Ne7
is often played; After 5...Nb8
White gets a slight lead in development and an slight space advantage. These two
"slight" advantages add up to give White a pleasant game] 6.Nxe5
Nf6
7.Ng4!
Here is a quote from the website: "This is an improvement over current theory. While 7. Bd3 is without point, 7. Be2 is an old game Chekhov - Psakhis but it hardly gives an advantage. The main point of 7. Ng4 is the threat 8. Qe2+ followed by Nxf6+ gxf6." I will agree that 7. Ng4! is a good move but 7. Bd3 also maintains some advantage as given in Chapter 5 of my book 7...Nxg4
[ Here the website mentions 7...Be7
8.Nxf6+
Bxf6
9.d6!
( Also in this line 9.Bd3
is quite playable. A follow up here could be 9...0-0
10.0-0
d6
11.Nd2
Nd7
12.Ne4
some White advantage) I will follow this up with: 9...Be5
10.dxc7
Qxc7
11.Nd2
0-0
12.Nf3
some White advantage] 8.Qxg4
here the website concludes with "White has a space advantage and Black cannot develop Bf8 without difficulty. 8. ...d6 may be answered by 9. Qd4, 9. Qg3 or 9. Bb5+
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