Petrov's Defense C42
C — Open games & French · Family: Petrov's Defense
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6
Petrov's Defense (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6) — also the Russian Game — answers the attack on e5 with a counterattack on e4, sidestepping the huge body of Spanish and Italian theory. It has been a practical anchor for world-class players from Carl Schlechter to Kramnik, who used it in his 2000 match against Kasparov.
After 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 the play is sharp but well mapped: White's 5.Qe2 and 5.d4 lead to balanced technical battles where Black must know the forcing lines precisely. The central 3.d4 Steinitz-style paths keep it flexible. Typical themes: early queen sorties, symmetric structures with an initiative race, and precise endgame technique.
Play through the moves on the board above, explore the variations tree below — click any move of any branch — then test yourself against the engine from the position you picked.
- Position after 4 half-moves — White to move.
- Material is balanced.
- Family “Petrov's Defense” contains 50 recorded variation(s) here.
Variations tree of the Petrov's Defense family
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Variations of this family
| Name | ECO | Main line length |
|---|---|---|
| Petrov's Defense | C42 | 5 plies |
| Petrov's Defense | C42 | 6 plies |
| Petrov's Defense | C42 | 7 plies |
| Petrov's Defense | C42 | 8 plies |
| Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack | C42 | 9 plies |
| Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Berger Variation | C42 | 19 plies |
| Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Chigorin Variation | C42 | 15 plies |
| Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Chigorin Variation, Browne Attack | C42 | 17 plies |
| Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Chigorin Variation, Main Line | C42 | 17 plies |
| Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Closed Variation | C42 | 10 plies |
| Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Jaenisch Variation | C42 | 15 plies |
| Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Krause Variation | C42 | 19 plies |
Related openings
Nearby ECO codes in the C — Open games & French volume — compare the move orders: