Domenico Lorenzo Ponziani

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Domenico Lorenzo Ponziani (born November 9, 1719 in Modena , † July 15, 1796 ibid) was professor of civil law at the University of Modena , clergyman and an important chess player of the 18th century .

Together with the two Italians Ercole del Rio and Giambattista Lolli , he founded the Modena School, which consisted of these three leading masters.

In 1769 his work Il giuoco incomparabile degli scacchi (Eng. The Chess Game That Ca n't Be Compared to Anything ) appeared in Modena (without authorship) , in which he offered a profound analysis of the game in general, especially the endgames. His book , in which he propagated free puppet play, made an important contribution to the development of modern game play in the 18th and 19th centuries. Reprints of this work were published in Venice in 1773, 1801 and 1812 . In 1782 he had a new edition printed in Modena, now with authorship. This work was also reprinted several times: Rome 1829, 1838, Verona 1837, Venice 1861.

An opening is named after Ponziani : 1. e2 – e4 e7 – e5 2. Ng1 – f3 Nb8 – c6 3. c2 – c3 . This way of playing is already mentioned in the Göttingen manuscript and by Giulio Cesare Polerio , but it was Ponziani who particularly recommended it in his book Il giuoco incomparabile .

He also drew attention to the following gambit : 1. e2 – e4 e7 – e5 2. Bf1 – c4 Ng8 – f6 3. d2 – d4 (the Ponziani gambit in the bishop's game ).

Work editions

personal data
SURNAME Ponziani, Domenico Lorenzo
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Italian chess master and chess theorist
DATE OF BIRTH November 9, 1719
PLACE OF BIRTH Modena
DATE OF DEATH July 15, 1796
Place of death Modena