LaviChess

Petrov's Defense

Black answers the attack on e5 with an attack of their own on e4. Solid and symmetrical, but with a trap for anyone who copies White one move too many.

  • The moves1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6
  • Chosen byBlack
  • ECOC42–C43
  • Also calledPetroff Defense, Russian Game
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Petrov's Defense after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6

Petrov's Defense comes after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6. Instead of protecting the pawn on e5, Black attacks White's pawn on e4. The position is symmetrical, and Black aims to equalize quickly and safely.

The opening already appears in the Göttingen manuscript from the late 1400s, but its names come from the Russian masters Alexander Petrov and Carl Jaenisch, who analyzed it in the mid-1800s. That is why it is called both Petrov's Defense and the Russian Game. It has a reputation for being drawish, but that hasn't stopped world champions such as Vasily Smyslov, Tigran Petrosian, Anatoly Karpov and Vladimir Kramnik from playing it.

The main line, move by move

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Be7 7. O-O Nc6 8. c4 Nb4 9. Be2 O-O 10. Nc3 Bf5

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2… Nf6

This is Petrov's Defense. Black leaves e5 and attacks e4.

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Open on the analysis board
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The ideas

White wants to

  • Make use of the extra move: White has a little more space and can try to drive away the knight on e4 with c4 and Re1.
  • In the Nimzowitsch Attack: trade knights, castle queenside and attack on the kingside.

Black wants to

  • Equalize with sound moves: develop, castle and keep the center stable.
  • Keep the knight on e4 as a strong central piece for as long as possible.
  • Don't copy White's moves for too long. Symmetry isn't always safe, as the trap below shows.

Important variations

Nimzowitsch Attack: 5.Nc3

Instead of 5.d4, White trades off the knight and takes back with 6.dxc3, away from the middle. White gets a doubled pawn but quick development, often castles queenside and attacks on the kingside. Black sometimes castles queenside too, to get away from the attack.

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Nc3 Nxc3 6. dxc3 Be7 7. Be3 Nc6 8. Qd2 Be6 9. O-O-O Qd7

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5. Nc3

White offers a trade of knights.

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Modern Attack: 3.d4

White opens the center at once instead of taking on e5. The main line is 3…Nxe4 4.Bd3 d5 5.Nxe5 Nd7 6.Nxd7 Bxd7, with open lines and equal play.

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. d4 Nxe4 4. Bd3 d5 5. Nxe5 Nd7 6. Nxd7 Bxd7

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3. d4

White attacks e5 with a pawn instead of taking with the knight.

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Open on the analysis board

Marshall Variation: 6…Bd6

Black puts the bishop on d6 instead of e7. There it is more active but also more exposed. The line is named after Frank Marshall, who played 8…Bg4. After 8…c6, White usually chooses between 9.Re1, 9.Nc3, 9.cxd5 and 9.Qc2.

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Bd6 7. O-O O-O 8. c4 c6

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6… Bd6

The bishop aims at White's kingside.

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The trap: the beginner's mistake 3…Nxe4?

It looks logical to copy White and win the pawn back at once with 3…Nxe4, but it is a well-known mistake. After 4.Qe2 the queen attacks the knight, and the natural retreat 4…Nf6?? loses the queen: 5.Nc6+ is a discovered check, and the knight on c6 attacks the queen on d8 at the same time. 4…Qe7 is better, but even then Black loses a pawn after 5.Qxe4 d6 6.d4 dxe5 7.dxe5. The right move is to play 3…d6 first.

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 Nxe4 4. Qe2 Nf6 5. Nc6+ Be7 6. Nxd8 Kxd8

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6… Kxd8

White has a queen for a knight.

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Open on the analysis board

How it goes in real games

How the games ended once the position had come up on the board, in blitz, rapid and classical games. White wins, draws and Black wins, as a percentage of the games.

PositionLevelGamesWhite winsDrawBlack wins
Petrov's Defense
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6		Club players37,386,62550%5%46%
Beginners53,879,99852%4%44%
Petrov's Defense, main line
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Be7 7. O-O Nc6 8. c4 Nb4 9. Be2 O-O 10. Nc3 Bf5		Club players4,34647%11%42%
Beginners157too few games for percentages
Nimzowitsch Attack: 5.Nc3
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Nc3 Nxc3 6. dxc3 Be7 7. Be3 Nc6 8. Qd2 Be6 9. O-O-O Qd7		Club players16,15050%11%39%
Beginners33048%7%45%
Modern Attack: 3.d4
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. d4 Nxe4 4. Bd3 d5 5. Nxe5 Nd7 6. Nxd7 Bxd7		Club players31,85447%12%41%
Beginners52942%6%51%

The most common continuations after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6

Club players, share of the games in the position.

  • 3.Nxe5 34% (12,713,487 games)
  • 3.Nc3 33% (12,167,356 games)
  • 3.Bc4 17% (6,385,459 games)
  • 3.d4 8% (2,882,763 games)
  • 3.d3 7% (2,475,270 games)

Source: games on Lichess, fetched October 28, 2026. Club players means games where the players average 1600 or more, beginners games where they average 1000–1599.

Is this opening for you?

Petrov's Defense suits players who want a reliable answer to 1.e4 and don't feel like learning the Ruy Lopez, the Italian Game and the Scotch Game one by one. With 2…Nf6, Black avoids them all.

It is a defense for patient players. Black rarely gets a quick attack, but the position is stable and hard to crack. If you want to beat a weaker opponent with Black, you may have to take a little more risk later in the game.

Practice the main line

Choose a color and one of the house players. Your opponent follows the main line, and you try to find your moves. If you play something else, you'll see the main line's move, but the game goes on. When the main line ends, you play freely.

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The main line with all the comments as text

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 This is Petrov's Defense. Black leaves e5 and attacks e4. 3. Nxe5 White takes the pawn. It is the most common move, along with 3.d4. 3… d6 Important: chase the knight away first. Taking back at once with 3…Nxe4 is a well-known mistake: see the trap further down. 4. Nf3 The knight retreats. 4… Nxe4 Now Black wins the pawn back. Material is level again. 5. d4 White takes space and prepares to chase the knight on e4. 5… d5 Black supports the knight. The position looks like the Exchange Variation of the French Defense, but with Black's knight already on e4. 6. Bd3 The bishop attacks the knight. White wants to drive it away with moves like c4 and Re1. 6… Be7 Black develops and gets ready to castle. 7. O-O Nc6 The knight comes out and puts pressure on d4. 8. c4 White strikes at d5, the pawn that supports the knight on e4. This line is usually linked with Carl Jaenisch and has been popular for over a hundred years. 8… Nb4 Black's most common reply. The knight attacks the bishop on d3. 9. Be2 The bishop retreats and keeps the bishop pair. Anatoly Karpov made the move popular. 9… O-O The king is safe. 10. Nc3 White challenges the knight on e4. 10… Bf5 Black protects the knight on e4 once more. The fight is about the center and about who gets the best squares for the pieces.

More openings

Italian Game

The bishop to c4 aims at f7. Classical, logical and perfect to learn first.

Ruy Lopez

The bishop to b5 presses on e5 from a distance. The masters' favorite since the 1800s.

Scotch Game

3.d4 at once: an open game, free pieces and no long maneuvering.

French Defense

1…e6 and 2…d5. Black builds a wall and attacks White's pawn chain at the base.

Every move on this page has been checked against the rules of chess.

Updated November 6, 2026