Ruy Lopez is better.

the R uy might offer more chances for white if you want to join the 100,000 people who know it 20 moves deep.

Are there any traps that white or black can use in the opening? 

you should spend more time studying openings and less time writing about openings

Yep. For example, the first time I played an OTB Ponziani game against a Master, he lost right away with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 Nf6 4.d4 Nxe4 5.d5 Ne7 6.Nxe5 d6?? 7.Bb5+ 1-0.

Ponz's book somehow implies White wins a pawn with 7.Bb5+ or 7.Qa4+, but 7.Bb5+ basically wins the game after 7...c6 8.dxc6 bxc6 9.Nxc6 Qb6 10.Nd4+ Kd8 (10...Bd7 11.Bxd7+ Kxd7 12.O-O is similar) 11.O-O and Black, down a pawn with the King in the center, is doomed. Houdini actually gives White more than a 3 point advantage already, while 7.Qa4+ gets less than a +1, and should not be suggested at all.

Here is a game I played 3 months ago 15 minutes per side.

Ponziani has lots of traps but the traps are just a bonus. The lines without so many traps are ok also on a practical basis for anyone rated 2500 or below or even for someone rated above 2500.

That doesn't take into account the human element of struggle. Main lines are main lines for that very reason. Of course black can draw with no mistakes in the game of chess, but it's harder to do this for a human in some openings over others. That's what makes the Ruy so popular, and that's also exactly why the Ponzi is not as popular.

I simply disagree, I think it is harder for the vast majority of chess players to respond to the Ponziani than to the Ruy Lopez.

Thanks to my friend, coolbluesky, for giving us excellent videos on the Ponziani Opening!

@ponz111

I think there must be a mistake in your game example? (7 posts back). Or maybe I am missing something?!

Why shouldn't black simply take the bishop on b5 with the Queen at move #9?! That would also be with check. And I can't see at good reply for the life of me.

Hi!

9...Qxb5 is not with check, the King is in e1.

Man you should not use such game to persuade others about how good is this opening, where the black makes most fatal mistake he can in ponziani. I play this opening sometimes on rapid opens, blitz and fide rated games, but not many people made this mistake. Usually with good players it goes into mainline ->Je7->Jg6, which is kind of drawish.

The point of this opening is, it does not have many solid lines for black and white play is same in almost all lines, thus its not so much theory to learn. I have friends, who rely on queens gambit or sicilian, but they keep going wrong with these openings against violations from mainlines, such as Alapin or budapest gambit. I don't get why somebody plays an opening, where he is dreaded of certain lines, which he is too lazy to study because its so many of them.

The theory of the Ponziani Opening is still developing. But, for sure, there are a lot less lines to learn than say the Ruy Lopez or either side of the Sicilian.

Not a trap exactly but a dangerous line Black can employ is as follows:

You gave white a very bad 8th move.  Accurate moves give white an endgame advantage in this line.

Expertise and I finished our game. I didn't expect that he'd play 5.d3 just to prove white can hold the draw, so in that regard, I guess you could say he made his point. However, the opening is a complete waste in advance chess for white. I never once had to sweat any moves by white, and in fact had a slight initiative with a lead in development for my temporary pawn sac. In comparison, a  Ruy Lopez a serious struggle in top-level CC when both sides fight for an advantage. Here, only black fights for the advantage. White has to mitigate to a draw.

ponziani.