Ponziani Opening: Romanishin Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
109,418 games: White 50.0% / Draw 4.7% / Black 45.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 75,14975K | ||
| 10,64511K | ||
| 7,6447,644 | ||
| 5,5005,500 | ||
| 3,4923,492 | ||
| 1,9121,912 | ||
| 1,3351,335 | ||
| 1,1871,187 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.65 White is slightly better
Best play: 4. d4 exd4 5. cxd4 d5 6. e5 Bb4+ 7. Nc3 Nge7 8. Be2 Ba5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Ponziani Opening: Romanishin Variation (ECO C44, Open Games) is a variation of the Ponziani Opening, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3 Be7 (3 moves).
In 109,418 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 50.0%, Black 45.4% and 4.7% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. d4, in 69% 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: Romanishin Variation
4. Be2 scores best for White: 53.4%, with White winning 51.2% and Black 44.4% of 5,500 games. The most played, 4. d4, scores 53.2% in 75K games, and 4. Bc4 scores lowest: 48.7%. Stockfish's first choice is 4. d4.
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: Romanishin Variation (C44)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/ponziani-opening-romanishin-variation