Petrov's Defense Guide

The Petrov's Defense (also known as Petroff Defense and Russian Game) is a chess opening for black that starts with the moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6. Instead of defending their own pawn, black decides to attack white’s pawn. This leads to a balanced game in which both sides have attacking opportunities, although the Petroff is widely considered a ‘drawish’ opening.

Why the Petrov's Defense?

The Petrov's is an extremely solid opening.

Popular even among the elite, the Petrov's Defense is very easy to play and with limited strategies to remember.

It is a perfect choice in case you play with black and want to draw your game.

However, some of the lines in the Petrov's are sharp, so you have the chance to play either in a positional or more dynamic fashion.

Fabiano Caruana is one of the elite players that relies on the Petrov's.

Main Moves in the Petrov's Defense

Let’s review the most played moves in the Petrov's Defense.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6

2…Nf6 is the defining moment of the Petrov's Defense.

3.Nxe5 d6

White decides to take the pawn and black immediately threatens white’s knight.

4.Nf3 Nxe4

Now it’s black’s turn to take a pawn.

5.d4 d5

Both sides decide to consolidate their central pawns.

6.Bd3 Nc6

Piece development continues.

7.O-O Be7

Black is now also ready to short-castle.

8.c4 Nb4

White expands on the center, black threatens to exchange one of white most active pieces.

9.Be2 O-O

White don’t want to lose their light-coloured bishop.

10.Nc3 Bf5

Development continues for both sides.

11.a3 Nxc3

Black is forced to make a choice and decides to simplify the game by exchanging knights.

12.bxc3 Nc6

Main Variations in the Petrov's Defense

Classical Variation

In the Classical Variation, white immediately takes the central pawn with 3.Nxe4.

After this, black always plays 3…d6.

Here, the main move is 4.Nf3, although white can also play 4.Nc4 and 4.Nd3.

A super aggressive alternative for white would be to play 4.Nxf7, which leads to an extremely messy game.

Steinitz Variation

The second most played move by white in the Petrov's Defense is 3.d4.

This is a sharper line in which white expands on the center instead of going for the e pawn.

Play usually continues like this: 3…exd4 4.e5 Ne4 5.Qxd4 d5

Three Knights Game

In this variation, white avoids playing a typical Petrov's Defense and, instead, almost forces a Four Knights game with 3.Nc3.

This is a more conservative but flexible way of approaching the Petrov's by white.

Black can still try 3…Bb4 to avoid the Four Knights Game.

Quiet Variation

In this variation, white simply defends their e pawn with d3.

After this usually follows a slow game.

Sidelines

Other sidelines in the Petrov's Defense are:

Kaufmann Attack - 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.c4

Italian Variation - 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bc4

Damiano Variation - 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 Nxe4

See more sub-variants, possible continuations, and Petrov's Defense master games here.

Model Games

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C42 Sub-variants:

• Petrov's defence
  1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6
• Petrov, French attack
  1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d3
• Petrov, Kaufmann attack
  1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. c4
• Petrov, Nimzovich attack
  1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Nc3
• Petrov, Cozio (Lasker) attack
  1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Qe2
• Petrov, classical attack
  1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4
• Petrov, classical attack, Chigorin variation
  1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Be7 7. O-O Nc6 8. Re1
• Petrov, classical attack, Berger variation
  1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Be7 7. O-O Nc6 8. Re1 Bg4 9. c3 f5 10. Nbd2
• Petrov, classical attack, Krause variation
  1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Be7 7. O-O Nc6 8. Re1 Bg4 9. c3 f5 10. c4
• Petrov, classical attack, Maroczy variation
  1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Be7 7. O-O Nc6 8. Re1 Bg4 9. c3 f5 10. c4 Bh4
• Petrov, classical attack, Jaenisch variation
  1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Be7 7. O-O Nc6 8. c4
• Petrov, classical attack, Mason variation
  1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Be7 7. O-O O-O
• Petrov, classical attack, Marshall variation
  1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Bd6
• Petrov, classical attack, Tarrasch variation
  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 Bg4
• Petrov, classical attack, Marshall trap
  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 Bg4 9. cxd5 f5 10. Re1 Bxh2+
• Petrov, classical attack, close variation
  1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 Nf6
• Petrov, Cochrane gambit
  1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nxf7
• Petrov, Paulsen attack
  1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nc4
• Petrov, Damiano variation
  1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 Nxe4
• Petrov three knights game
  1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nc3
• Petrov, Italian variation
  1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Bc4