moonie, what you are doing is to give very bad moves for
White in the Ponziani. Of course if somebody does not know how to play the Ponziani and makes bad moves--he will get a bad result.
To give an anology it is like saying the Ruy Lopez does not give
White any hope of winning and then posting bad analysis and bad moves to prove your point. And then saying if you play the Ruy Lopez-just accept an equal position if Black knows his stuff.
Give better alternatives for white then ?
Just saying i give bad options without saying why or when gives me no real chance to reply does it.
The better options are in my book. No reasonable Ponziani player would play 3. c3 d5 4. exd5? Also as stated in my book White should never play 3. c3 d5 4. Bb5??
Also after 3. c3 d5 4. Qa4 f6 White should not play 5. exd5?
after 3. c3 d5 4. Qa4 f6 White has two main lines and these are
5.Bb5 and 5. d3
The line with 5. Bb5 is the more likely line you will see. In the vote chess game with a group I am in--we are playing the 5.Bb5 line
When you criticize an opening and give variations--at least check out the theory of that opening so that you will not give a lot of inferior lines not played.
I gave the 4. exd5 as a subline to show that you just can take back with the queen.
After 3. c3 d5 4. Qa4 f6 what should white play ? You cannot seriously mean that white get an advantage after something like 5.d3 Be6 with the locked in bishop and the strong black center you can only conclude black is equal.
Any other moves are just worse as black is developed quite well and has a center. So any liquidations will lead to an at least equal position.
Please notice that the Pozani does not give black an advantage and gives ample oppertunity to outplay an opponent (specially if you play it often and know the plans) but just dont claim advantage based on it.
and it is silly to say that 3. c3 is a mistake as Black can respond 3. ...d5
this shows a fundamental misunderstanding of the Ponziani Opening.
It reminds me of what a whole lot of grandmasters were once saying
about another Ponziani Position--they were saying how lifeless and drawish the line was for both sides and this was said for many years by many players and repeated but I have come up with a line which from that very position and it is only White who has all the fun and White has quite good winning chances while Black has only a hope for a draw.
Do not parrot what others say.
I cannot see (and neither can my computer) how Bb5 can lead to an advantage for white after Ne7.
I never said it was a mistake. I just leads to less chance of advantage than the Ruy Lopez, Italian of Scottish. Black can equalize rather easy. Just like many other opening that can be played with white like the center game (1 e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3 Qd4) or the 4 knights.
As for talking what grandmasters say .. they have a far far deeper understanding of the game then most of us. What they say has to be taken far more seriously than what non grandmasters say.
Do not give lines that are known to be inferior is my suggestion.
After 3. c3 d5 4. Qa4 f6 my preference is 5. Bb5 Ne7 and there is a Whole lot of chess after that move.
Do not rely on your computer to "see" what will happen in the continuation of that line. Because you do not see what will happen just shows you are not familiar with the line. This line is very complicated.
Regarding "leading to an advantage for White" after any series of moves in the opening--You are aware that the game of chess is a draw AND NO MATTER WHAT OPENING YOU CHOOSE-there is no forced way for White to maintain an advatage--the game will end in a draw with best play on both sides. I do not claim the Ponziani leads to a win--no opening does that-I do say that the Ponziani is just as good as many other openings and there are many opportunities for White to get a better position and I am also saying much of the older Ponziani theory is out of date [but now brought up to date] and I have given examples of how even grandmasters got the opening theory of the Ponziani wrong.
Both 5.Bb5 and 5.d3 are equal (not drawn).
And... horses for courses, personally I like 5.d3 better than 5.Bb5: White will play a reversed Philidor Hanham, where he will just lose one tempo moving his queen out of a4, but Black is already committed to the undesirable ...f6 move, which hampers the most natural deployment of his pieces.
Grandmasters make mistakes and they certainly have regarding the Ponziani Opening. Even as early as the 4th move they play moves which should lose.
Even in evaluating a Ponziani position--they get it wrong. [as I have shown]
I greatly respect grandmasters but I have a good record against them.
I also respect the power and play of chess engines but have shown how chess engines "get it wrong".
I also play this line 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 I saw the line played once in a world championship match--I think Kasparov vs Anade and the player with the black pieces got a very good postion. Unfortunately both super grandmasters did not know how to play that opening and White eventually won.
Yes, both 5. Bb5 and 5 d3 are equal-not drawn. You can say that about
many chess openings as the game of chess is a draw and any chess opening played correctly by both sides leads to a draw [I should say any sound chess opening]
What is important is what are the opportunities for both sides and there are more such opportunites in the ponziani then most people believe.
Wow it seemd that you have proved one of the most important retogarde problems in math. Seems like you proved something nobody else could yet. Chess is a draw.
I agree that there is al ot of play after 5. Bb5 Ne7. But here black is by no means worse. I might not be a Pozani expert but i do know the fundamental laws of chess. Both sidez have plusses en minuses. The position is equal.
Not giving any variation where white is better and just saying you are wrong at my variation without an explanation does not give you a strong case to be honest.
I have not proved chess is a draw but the fact is with best play on both sides chess is a draw and this also means any sound opening you can play will end up with White not being able to maintain his advantage and the game will be a draw.
I was not trying to give positions where
White was better I was responding to your lines which I am sure you will see now have already been addressed. You gave a lot of very bad lines for White.
One thing for sure regarding the line 3. c3 d5 4. Qa4 f6 5. Bb5 Ne7 it is not a line you can just look at and give any kind of meaningful evaluation as this line turns out to be one of the most complicated lines in the Ponziani.
Your initial evaluation of the Ponziani was based on lines with very bad moves by White--this tends to show some lack of knowledge and understanding about the Ponziani--this is not a criticism of you because you may have a lack of understanding and knowledge about an opening that is rarely played--it just shows your initial evaluations were off because you seemed to not know the better and more common Ponziani opening moves.
Yes, both 5. Bb5 and 5 d3 are equal-not drawn. You can say that about
And that is what i said all the time. They are equal. Ofcourse there are chances and oppertunites. Just like there are in the 4knights and the center game. Black has just a much changes to win as white.
In the Ruy Lopez there is no equalizer after 5 moves and the pressure on blacks position will be felt a long time. Whether of not black can equalize in the end .. who knows but he has to fight long and hard for it.
The move order after Qa4 i gave also leads to an equal game. Only i did show several side variations were nice for black.
And the variation i gave with 4. Qa4 f6 5 exd5 Qxd5 5. Bb5 is most played by pozani players.
The Ruy Lopez is also equal after 5 moves. However in both the Ruy Lopez and the Ponziani there are zillions of follow ups and in both openings
Black will be equal but under pressure for some time.
You think 5 moves and chances equal for both sides in the Ponziani but in
Ruy Lopez 5 moves and while equal White has better chances. I disagree I say same for Ponziani as in the Ruy Lopez after 5 moves White has more chances than Black even though in both openings the game should end in a draw with best play.
But your suggestion of "easy equality" are colored by the fact that you did not know the correct moves for White and thus [in your mind] you were "refuting" a bunch of lines which are not played.
I on the other hand have had experience in this opening and thus in most situations can play this opening better than the average grandmaster.
Someone who spends the time and effort to write a comprehensive book about a whole opening [and this took a very long time] just might have a better understanding of this opening then you?
Too bad I can no longer play at a high level but I still remember some things! 
hi every 1
The Pozani does not give white any hope of opening advantage but gives playable positions in my opinion. The problem with the Pozani is that c3 does not put pressure on the center allowing d5
Please note that this does not dismiss the pozani as a nice suprise weapon. Just accept an equal position if black knows his stuff