From Lasker's lecture on defence: the Ponziani Opening. As Lasker relates, “a fine Liverpool player,” distrusting Staunton's recommended attack, found a stronger reply and defeated his opponent in a match game with a brilliant miniature ending in mate. Lasker gives no names. From Common Sense in Chess (1896).
3.c3The Ponziani opening. I cannot recommend it to you on account of the questionable early advance of the Q B Pawn which it involves.
3…d5An excellent answer. By his third move White has weakened the square Q 3; so Black tries to open the Q file, to get possession of that very important point.
7.f4This is the move given by Staunton. It is intended to keep up the attack, which by the exchange of the minor pieces would be utterly lost. White threatens now B - B 4, and Staunton lets Black, therefore, reply by P x P e.p. A fine Liverpool player, looking at the position with the instinct of a true chess player, thought that there must be, against such precipitate attack as White has undertaken, a better reply. And this is how he defeated one of his opponents in a match game.
9…Nf5Black has by far the better development, and now threatens B - B 4 ch.
Emanuel Lasker, Common Sense in Chess (1896) · Public domain · source