Ponziani Opening: Jaenisch Counterattack 4. d3 d5
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Statistics from Lichess
335,741 games: White 43.8% / Draw 4.8% / Black 51.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 184,897185K | ||
| 44,18944K | ||
| 42,08142K | ||
| 33,10133K | ||
| 14,50115K | ||
| 6,7346,734 | ||
| 2,8162,816 | ||
| 1,9311,931 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 25, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.14 The position is about equal
Best play: 5. Nbd2 Bd6 6. Be2 O-O 7. O-O h6 8. Re1 a5 9. exd5 Nxd5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: Black scores 53% under 1400, 52% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 305K | |
| 1400–1799 | 337K | |
| 1800–2199 | 160K | |
| 2200 and up | 14K | |
| Masters, over the board | 266 |
Master games
- Caruana, F. – Aronian, L.
- Jobava, B. – Matlakov, M.
- Li, C. B. – Xiong, J.
- Movsesian, S. – Leko, P.
- Jobava, B. – Anton Guijarro, D.
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 d5 (4 moves).
In 335,741 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 43.8%, Black 51.4% and 4.8% were drawn. White's most played move here is 5. exd5, in 55% of those games.
It continues into one named variation.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 4…d5
5. Qc2 scores best for White: 52.4%, with White winning 50.2% and Black 45.4% of 44K games. The most played, 5. exd5, scores 45.4% in 185K games, and 5. Bg5 scores lowest: 40.3%. Stockfish's first choice is 5. Nbd2.
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
Popularity by year
This line has lost ground since 2016: 0.013% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.017%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.017% | 5,953 |
| 2017 | 0.014% | 7,868 |
| 2018 | 0.013% | 10,440 |
| 2019 | 0.013% | 16,190 |
| 2020 | 0.013% | 37,227 |
| 2021 | 0.013% | 51,744 |
| 2022 | 0.013% | 48,335 |
| 2023 | 0.013% | 48,443 |
| 2024 | 0.013% | 45,359 |
| 2025 | 0.013% | 43,944 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.013% | 14,440 |
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)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Ponziani Opening: Jaenisch Counterattack (C44)”. Lichess data as of 25 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/ponziani-opening-jaenisch-counterattack-3