Ponziani Opening: Caro Gambit
Play any move on the board to explore from there, or step through the line with ‹ › and the arrow keys.
Statistics from Lichess
33,109 games: White 45.5% / Draw 4.4% / Black 50.1%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 29,01229K | ||
| 2,7642,764 | ||
| 729729 | ||
| 328328 | ||
| 101101 | ||
| 7474 | ||
| 3535 | ||
| 2121 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.17 The position is about equal
Best play: 5. exd5 Nd4 6. Qd1 Nxf3+ 7. Qxf3 Nf6 8. c4 Bc5 9. Nc3 O-O
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Ponziani Opening: Caro Gambit (ECO C44, Open Games) is a gambit in the Ponziani Opening, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3 d5 4. Qa4 Bd7 (4 moves).
In 33,109 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 45.5%, Black 50.1% and 4.4% were drawn. White's most played move here is 5. exd5, in 88% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
Write a description or report a mistake
How to play against the Ponziani Opening: Caro Gambit
The most played answer, 5. exd5, also scores best for White: 49.8%, with White winning 47.5% and Black 48.0% of 29K games. Of the main answers, 5. Bb5 scores lowest: 36.3%. Stockfish's first choice is also 5. exd5.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Ponziani Opening: Caro Gambit (C44)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/ponziani-opening-caro-gambit