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Ponziani Opening: Jaenisch Counterattack

3.6M games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds

48.4%

45%55%
Floor48.3%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. Its best is the same figure — the band is too tight to plot.

Measured over 3.6M games at this level and clock.

Playablewins about as often as it loses at this level

Roughly even — the middlegame decides more than this opening choice does.

Outcomes for Black

Draw 3.7 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 3.6M games

Rank among the families Black can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
3.6M
Best context
55.5% at 0-999 Classical
Worst context
43.0% at 2500+ Blitz
Average game length
32 moves
Games that end decisively
96.3%
Draws
3.7%

Best and worst are the strongest and weakest squares with at least 500 games behind them. The table further down shows every square, including thinner ones.

Extra Analysis

Deep-dive datasets for this opening

How to Beat This (Move 3)

Best: 3...d5 · Black wins: 52.8% · 3.1M games

Where it holds · Black score by rating × clock

Green is clearly ahead for Black, grey is around even, red is behind. Tap a cell to measure there, and again to clear. It falls away as the rating rises: 51.9% at 0-999, 41.7% at 2500+.

RatingUBBulleBlitzRapidClass
0-999
1000-1199
1200-1399
1400-1599
1600-1799
1800-1999
2000-2199
2200-2499
2500+

Expected score matrix by rating bracket and time control

  • 0-999 rating, UltraBullet: 52.5% expected score (80 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 48.9% expected score (60,966 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 51.1% expected score (153,671 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 51.5% expected score (74,844 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 55.5% expected score (531 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 44.8% expected score (181 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 46.8% expected score (110,065 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 49.0% expected score (266,992 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (130,194 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 52.9% expected score (2,658 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 47.8% expected score (340 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 46.5% expected score (140,616 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 48.2% expected score (356,113 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 49.2% expected score (180,952 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 51.0% expected score (6,422 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 48.5% expected score (295 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 46.9% expected score (153,865 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 48.1% expected score (398,084 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 49.0% expected score (199,660 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 50.5% expected score (11,019 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 54.4% expected score (149 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 47.1% expected score (134,880 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 48.1% expected score (346,080 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 48.4% expected score (172,454 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 48.9% expected score (9,889 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 43.3% expected score (65 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 47.8% expected score (92,109 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 48.3% expected score (228,949 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 48.2% expected score (104,796 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 46.5% expected score (3,290 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 39.1% expected score (26 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 48.1% expected score (52,575 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 47.3% expected score (83,008 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 46.8% expected score (29,257 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 42.2% expected score (391 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 37.0% expected score (33 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 47.3% expected score (27,022 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 45.6% expected score (18,843 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 46.2% expected score (3,339 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 53.7% expected score (40 games)
  • 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (8 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 44.2% expected score (5,215 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 43.0% expected score (1,408 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 35.3% expected score (80 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 35.8% expected score (16 games)

Related Openings

Parent
Ponziani Opening
51.8%
Variations (5)
Ponziani Opening: Neumann Gambit
48.9%
Ponziani Opening: Ponziani Countergambit
45.2%
Ponziani Opening: Romanishin Variation
50.2%
Ponziani Opening: Spanish Variation
46.3%
Ponziani Opening: Vukovic Gambit
42.1%
Analyze Ponziani Opening: Jaenisch Counterattack PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Ponziani Opening: Jaenisch Counterattack scores 48.4% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 48.3% and 48.4% — from 3.6M Lichess games. Win rate, draw rate and loss rate come from games played December 2023 to November 2025.

How the figures are made
Whose games these are
3.6M+ rated games played on Lichess (2023-12 to 2025-11). The games are Lichess’s and free for anyone to use. What is ours is the reading of them. Last rebuilt January 2026.
Which games we count
  • Rated games only — nothing casual.
  • Both players within 200 rating points of each other. A mismatch tells you about the gap, not about the opening.
  • At least 2 moves played.
  • A game is filed under White’s rating.
Why every number comes with a range
A number off a few hundred games is a guess. The same number off millions is a fact. The range is what tells them apart, and it is what the lists rank on — so an opening cannot reach the top on a lucky run of forty games. The more games behind a figure, the narrower its range.
How much we need before we say anything
An opening page needs 100 games. A gambit needs 50 games at a rating before we will say whether it pays there. The chaos and trap lists need 500 games overall and 250 games at one rating or clock.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Ponziani Opening: Jaenisch Counterattack win rate?

Playing the Ponziani Opening: Jaenisch Counterattack, Black wins 46.5%, draws 3.7% and loses 49.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.4%. It rests on 3.6M rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Ponziani Opening: Jaenisch Counterattack perform best?

The Ponziani Opening: Jaenisch Counterattack performs best for Black at 0-999, with an Expected Score of 50.7% (290K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Ponziani Opening: Jaenisch Counterattack better in blitz or rapid?

For Black, the Ponziani Opening: Jaenisch Counterattack scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 48.5% in Blitz (1.9M games) against 49.1% in Rapid (896K games).

How sharp is the Ponziani Opening: Jaenisch Counterattack?

The Ponziani Opening: Jaenisch Counterattack has a sharpness score of 96.3 (very decisive), meaning 96.3% of games end decisively. Average game length is 32 moves.

What is the Ponziani Opening: Jaenisch Counterattack win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, Black wins 48.9%, draws 3.7% and loses 47.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.7%. It rests on 290K Lichess games, which average 27 moves.

What is the Ponziani Opening: Jaenisch Counterattack win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, Black wins 47.0%, draws 3.4% and loses 49.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.8%. It rests on 510K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.

What is the Ponziani Opening: Jaenisch Counterattack win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, Black wins 46.4%, draws 3.3% and loses 50.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.1%. It rests on 684K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.

What is the Ponziani Opening: Jaenisch Counterattack win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, Black wins 46.4%, draws 3.5% and loses 50.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.1%. It rests on 763K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

What is the Ponziani Opening: Jaenisch Counterattack win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, Black wins 46.1%, draws 3.8% and loses 50.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.0%. It rests on 663K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

What is the Ponziani Opening: Jaenisch Counterattack win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, Black wins 45.9%, draws 4.3% and loses 49.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.1%. It rests on 429K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

What is the Ponziani Opening: Jaenisch Counterattack win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, Black wins 45.1%, draws 4.7% and loses 50.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.5%. It rests on 165K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

What is the Ponziani Opening: Jaenisch Counterattack win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, Black wins 43.8%, draws 5.5% and loses 50.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.6%. It rests on 49K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.

What is the Ponziani Opening: Jaenisch Counterattack win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, Black wins 38.8%, draws 9.8% and loses 51.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 43.8%. It rests on 6.7K Lichess games, which average 42 moves.

What is the Ponziani Opening: Jaenisch Counterattack win rate in UltraBullet?

In UltraBullet, Black wins 47.2%, draws 1.3% and loses 51.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.9%. It rests on 1.2K Lichess games.

What is the Ponziani Opening: Jaenisch Counterattack win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, Black wins 45.9%, draws 2.4% and loses 51.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.2%. It rests on 777K Lichess games.

What is the Ponziani Opening: Jaenisch Counterattack win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, Black wins 46.5%, draws 3.9% and loses 49.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.5%. It rests on 1.9M Lichess games.

What is the Ponziani Opening: Jaenisch Counterattack win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, Black wins 46.9%, draws 4.4% and loses 48.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.1%. It rests on 896K Lichess games.

What is the Ponziani Opening: Jaenisch Counterattack win rate in Classical?

In Classical, Black wins 47.5%, draws 4.8% and loses 47.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.9%. It rests on 34K Lichess games.

Is the Ponziani Opening: Jaenisch Counterattack a good opening?

The Ponziani Opening: Jaenisch Counterattack is about level. Across all ratings, Black wins 46.5% of its games and loses 49.8%. It performs best at 0-999. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.