Ponziani's Opening
Part 2Ponziani's Opening (1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 c3) is regarded by many to be something of a relic from a bygone era in the game. Ever since its creator -- Dominico Lorenzo Ponziani -- introduced the opening in the 1760s, it has struggled for survival in tournament praxis. But a new book just published on it, Play the Ponziani (by Dave Taylor & Keith Hayward), could well see more occurrences of this venerable old opening. In the 300 page tome, the authors devote 25 pages to 3 ...f5!? - the ultra-sharp option advocated by Ponziani himself, and called in his honor the Ponziani Counter-Gambit. And in this series of Boris Alterman's Gambit Guide, our gambit guru puts 3 ...f5!? to the test.