Practice the Ponziani Opening Trap

The line

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3 Nf6 4. d4 d6 5. d5 Ne7 6. Bg5 Nxe4 7. Qa4+

Your moves, explained

1. 1. e4 Takes the center and frees the bishop and queen.
2. 2. Nf3 Attacks e5 and gets ready to castle.
3. 3. c3 Props up the coming d4 push and defines the opening.
4. 4. d4 Opens lines for your pieces and grabs central space.
5. 5. d5 The knight is forced to a passive square, giving you a space edge.
6. 6. Bg5 It looks like a blunder, but Qa4+ is the hidden follow-up.
7. 7. Qa4+ The double attack wins the knight on e4.

Key moments in the video

• 0:12 Ponziani: play c3
• 0:31 Build the center
• 1:04 d5 kicks the knight
• 1:06 Knight forced back
• 1:09 Tricky Bg5 decoy
• 1:20 Black grabs e4
• 1:31 Qa4+ double attack

Want the theory behind it? Read our Ponziani Opening Trap guide.

Frequently asked questions

What are the moves of the Ponziani Opening Trap?

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3 Nf6 4. d4 d6 5. d5 Ne7 6. Bg5 Nxe4 7. Qa4+. You play White; After Bg5 lures Black into grabbing e4, Qa4+ forks the king and knight and wins material immediately.

How do I practise the Ponziani Opening Trap?

Watch Remote Chess Academy's video, then play the line yourself on the board on this page. You make all 7 of White's moves; a wrong move is undone with a hint, and the key moments jump the video to where Remote Chess Academy explains each move.

Do I need an account?

No. The practice is free and runs in your browser. Sign up only if you want Chess DNA to find the openings that lose you games in your own Chess.com or Lichess history.

More videos to practise

• Ruy Lopez Queen Sacrifice Trap (Remote Chess Academy)
• Scotch Game Trap (Remote Chess Academy)
• Smith-Morra Gambit Trap (Remote Chess Academy)
• King's Indian Defense Trap (Remote Chess Academy)
• King's Gambit Accepted (Chess Talk)
• London System (GothamChess)
• All Watch & practice videos

The video is embedded from YouTube and belongs to Remote Chess Academy. Chess DNA is not affiliated with the creator. Updated Nov 10, 2026.