Ponziani Opening: Jaenisch Counterattack 3…Nf6 4. d3
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Statistics from Lichess
1,241,922 games: White 46.6% / Draw 4.7% / Black 48.8%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 430,882431K | ||
| 330,862331K | ||
| 156,656157K | ||
| 151,333151K | ||
| 125,543126K | ||
| 13,90514K | ||
| 13,52614K | ||
| 7,7127,712 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 27, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.23 The position is about equal
Best play: 4... d5 5. Nbd2 Bd6 6. Be2 O-O 7. exd5 Nxd5 8. Nc4 h6 9. O-O
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: White scores 49% both under 1400 and at 2200 and up, and 56% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 1M | |
| 1400–1799 | 1.4M | |
| 1800–2199 | 546K | |
| 2200 and up | 22K | |
| Masters, over the board | 360 |
Master games
- Caruana, F. – Aronian, L.
- Jobava, B. – Matlakov, M.
- Movsesian, S. – Fressinet, L.
- Kasparov, G. – Zarnicki, P.
- Jobava, B. – Salgado Lopez, I.
Rated blitz, rapid and classical Lichess games by rating band, and over-the-board games of players rated 2200+ from the Lichess masters database, updated Sep 27, 2026
Overview
Ponziani Opening: Jaenisch Counterattack (ECO C44, Open Games) is a variation of the Ponziani Opening: Jaenisch Counterattack, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3 Nf6 4. d3 (4 moves).
In 1,241,922 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 46.6%, Black 48.8% and 4.7% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 4…Bc5, in 35% of those games.
It continues into one named variation. In all, 2 named lines continue from it.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 4. d3
4…d5 scores best for Black: 53.8%, with Black winning 51.4% and White 43.8% of 331K games. The most played, 4…Bc5, scores 50.7% in 431K games, and 4…d6 scores lowest: 47.9%. Stockfish's first choice is also 4…d5.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Popularity by year
This line has lost ground since 2016: 0.045% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.056%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.056% | 19,948 |
| 2017 | 0.05% | 27,392 |
| 2018 | 0.046% | 36,251 |
| 2019 | 0.047% | 58,827 |
| 2020 | 0.048% | 141,597 |
| 2021 | 0.051% | 198,084 |
| 2022 | 0.05% | 186,479 |
| 2023 | 0.048% | 180,283 |
| 2024 | 0.047% | 166,854 |
| 2025 | 0.045% | 156,928 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.045% | 49,358 |
Share of rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 (blitz, rapid and classical) that reach this position, by year; 2026: January to April. Which openings are rising and falling
Variations (1)
All 2 named lines that continue from here
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Ponziani Opening: Jaenisch Counterattack (C44)”. Lichess data as of 27 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/ponziani-opening-jaenisch-counterattack-2