Ponziani Opening: Neumann Gambit
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Statistics from Lichess
1,168,383 games: White 48.2% / Draw 3.7% / Black 48.1%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Italian Game: Classical Variation | 412,121412K | |
| 254,930255K | ||
| 172,551173K | ||
| 123,693124K | ||
| 93,83094K | ||
| 74,19674K | ||
| 14,25014K | ||
| 9,0649,064 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.84 Black is better
Best play: 4... Nxe4 5. Bd5 Nf6 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. Nxe5 Nd7 8. Nxd7 Qe7+ 9. Qe2
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
The stronger the players, the worse this line does for White: White scores 51% under 1400, 44% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 1.4M | |
| 1400–1799 | 1.5M | |
| 1800–2199 | 487K | |
| 2200 and up | 14K | |
| Masters, over the board | 6 |
Master games
- Radjabov, T. – Anand, V.
- Xiong, J. – Vidit, S.
- Kosteniuk, A. – Robson, R.
- Mergard, H. – Popescu, I. R.
- Eastlake, P. – Knittel, M.
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: Neumann Gambit (ECO C44, Open Games) is a gambit in the Ponziani Opening: Jaenisch Counterattack, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3 Nf6 4. Bc4 (4 moves).
In 1,168,383 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.2%, Black 48.1% and 3.7% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 4…Bc5, in 35% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Ponziani Opening: Neumann Gambit
4…Nxe4 scores best for Black: 58.1%, with Black winning 56.2% and White 40.0% of 255K games. The most played, 4…Bc5, scores 46.8% in 412K games, and 4…h6 scores lowest: 45.8%. Stockfish's first choice is also 4…Nxe4.
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
The Ponziani Opening: Neumann Gambit has gained ground since 2016: 0.044% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.032% (its peak: 0.052% in 2021).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.032% | 11,272 |
| 2017 | 0.032% | 17,485 |
| 2018 | 0.033% | 25,551 |
| 2019 | 0.035% | 43,267 |
| 2020 | 0.041% | 120,229 |
| 2021 | 0.052% | 204,586 |
| 2022 | 0.05% | 187,126 |
| 2023 | 0.048% | 181,724 |
| 2024 | 0.046% | 164,287 |
| 2025 | 0.044% | 151,874 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.041% | 45,478 |
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
Transpositions
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Ponziani Opening: Neumann Gambit (C44)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/ponziani-opening-neumann-gambit