Ponziani opening traps

That whole line is very complicated. With best play by both sides--the game will end in a draw. But both Black and White must navigate through a quite complex series of moves.  Of course if you play the Ponziani--there is a chance you will have a better understanding of the complex complications.

When the game was played the theory of that variation was up in the air but I took the Black side in several games just to learn and make the theory.

Best to avoid the whole line unless one is willing to learn the very complex theory.

The mistake in the game was 12. Qa6. Up until that move--the game should end in a draw.

The Ponziani is a draw with best play by both sides. The Ruy Lopez is a draw with best play by both sides. 

I looked up percentages for theory for the first 6 possible  moves in both openings. The results were White wins 48.2% with the Ponziani and 43.1% with the Ruy Lopez.  This was 365Chess data base.

Of course this one stat means very little except that both the Ponziani and the Ruy Lopez are playable openings. Both openings have parts of theory where the position is equal and the game should end in a draw with best play for both sides.

One advantage the Ponziani has over the Ruy Lopez is that with the Ruy there is about ten times more theory to learn. Another advantage is few people are prepared to meet the Ponziani.

I am not saying the Ponziani is superior to the Ruy. They are close to equal but if you know the 10 times amount of theory in the Ruy--it has a slight edge.

However both the Ruy Lopez and the Ponziani are not quite as strong [in theory] as 1. c4. 

Generally speaking, the richness of an opening is a mark of quality.

Ruy Lopez too complicated? Right!

U want to improve? It is the way, or at least Giuoco Pianissimo which has similar pawn structures.

U know what? Chess is a complicated game, very complicated game.

U want to elude things? Ok but then the way to improve will be blocked at some stage.

Players under a rating of 2300 generally want to play openings where they  can understand theory.  Sometimes this means a less complicated opening to learn.

I have never refrained from  complicated openings. Even the Ponziani has  lines that are so complicated that more than 99% of the players do not know the correct routes to equality or to a winning advantage.

You found this out yourself when you posted incorrect analysis on a certain line in the Ponziani.

Nobody has all the correct analysis on any opening. Mistakes in analysis can be made by anybody.

For most players it is better to play an opening they can learn and understand. 

DeirdreSkye You know very little about the Ponziani and openings in general. You were telling a novice that it is ok to move a pawn twice in this variation...

U improved one of my analysis, great for you!

I still don't know what is the line : each time i ask, u don't show it, strange isn't it?

But I don't see the point with a piece of analysis and this discuss.

Once again, u misread or misunderstand : i've never criticized the Ponziani or something like this.

I agree with Deirdre points, but this is not incompatible with telling Ponziani is a good/playable opening.

The point of the Ponz is knowing an obscure opening much better than your opponent. Decades ago I was teetering on expert and played a GM. He watched me play the King's Gambit in a couple pre-tourney skittles games and decided to teach me a lesson as White. I played Bobby Fischer's 3...d6 and he was busted in 10 moves. The game lasted 60+ moves because I sat on a two-pawn advantage for fear he'd fan an attack from nothing. As one player described it, "It was like watching a python swallow a pig." I learned he'd been undefeated in the club tourney's until that game.
The point - Ponz, like KGA, Scotch, Morra, etc. is a tactical weapon for the club level. It's as good as any opening if you want to surprise a GM or IM. If you can take down titled players with Ruy, Sicilian, Semi-Slav, etc., congratulations, you're in elite company.

In the mean time...have FUN.  

At last, thank you blunderking2 for saving me from writing all that.

This has been said many times but "they" don't want to listen.

If people want to slag other people off then please do it through private messages - we don't want to know.

If, however, one cares to contribute some meaningful chess then by all means provide some analysis that we haven't all seen a dozen times before (ie read all 532 previous comments!). See that? 532 comments - this is a popular forum (despite the bickering) as people are interested in this opening. This forum didn't start as an appreciation of the ponziani - only certain aspects of it. "You" turned it into a general argument of the opening.

I may think the Blackmar-Diemer (for example) is unsound but I don't invade all the Blackmar-diemer forums and rant and rage at people who do play it (and sometimes win) so leave this forum alone for chess players not ranters.

The Ponziani may not be the "best" but none has said it is - we know its limitations. Thank goodness we don't all play the same opening (Ruy?) just because X**** or some machine says its the best - that would be boring indeed.

Even Fischer didn't play e4 all the time though he said it was 'the best by test'. We are all different - we don't have to be like you and play like you - we have minds of our own and can use them and make our own decisions.

ps. it should be obvious who "you" are

Everything you say is completely off topic and not part of this forum - please stop trolling

You don’t listen do you? We know that so the question is why do you waste your time invading this forum if you are not interested in it. You are a very well qualified chess player and teacher but you are not doing yourself any favours by trashing our forum so just go away

You are correct; the OP asked for lines/traps in this opening...but as usual on these forums, it turns into a p*ssing contest.

Will show some Ponziani games now...I was White in all these games...