mytourneys › Openings › Petrov's Defense

Petrov's Defense

With 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 Black counter-attacks e4. Petrov's Defense (Russian Game) is symmetrical, extremely solid and deeply analysed, a reliable weapon for Black at elite level.

802master games

2623avg. Elo

23variations

White wins %24 · draw %66 · Black wins %10

Played by: Wei Yi, Nepomniachtchi, Fedoseev, Abdusattorov, Bluebaum, Aronian, Erigaisi, Yu Yangyi

Main line

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.Nc3 Nxc3 6.dxc3 Be7 7.Be3 O-O 8.Qd2 Nd7 9.O-O-O Nf6 10.Bd3 Re8 11.Rhe1 Bg4 12.Bg5 Nd7 13.Rxe7 Rxe7 14.Bxe7 Qxe7 15.Re1 Qf8

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Variations played by masters (23)

Nimzowitsch Attack · ECO C42 · for Black

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.Nc3 Nxc3 6.dxc3 Be7 7.Be3 O-O 8.Qd2 Nd7 9.O-O-O Nf6 10.Bd3 Re8 …

91 games · avg. Elo 2616 · W/D/L 27/59/5 · Model game: Zeng – Bai, 2026 (1/2-1/2)

Nimzowitsch Attack · ECO C42 · for Black

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.Nc3 Nxc3 6.dxc3 Be7 7.Be3 O-O 8.Qd2 Nd7 9.O-O-O Nf6 10.Bd3 Re8 …

91 games · avg. Elo 2616 · W/D/L 27/59/5 · Model game: Zeng – Bai, 2026 (1/2-1/2)

Modern Attack, Center Variation · ECO C43 · for Black

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.d4 Nxe4 4.Bd3 d5 5.Nxe5 Nd7 6.Nxd7 Bxd7 7.O-O Bd6 8.Nc3 Nxc3 9.bxc3 O-O 10.Qh5 f5 …

90 games · avg. Elo 2612 · W/D/L 21/57/12 · Model game: Wang Hao – Li Chao2, 2026 (1/2-1/2)

Classical Attack, Staunton Variation · ECO C42 · for Black

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 9.Re1 Bf5 10.Qb3 Qd7 …

67 games · avg. Elo 2635 · W/D/L 15/45/7 · Model game: Niemann – Nepomniachtchi, 2026 (0-1)

Classical Attack, Staunton Variation · ECO C42 · for Black

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 9.Re1 Bf5 10.Qb3 Qd7 …

67 games · avg. Elo 2635 · W/D/L 15/45/7 · Model game: Niemann – Nepomniachtchi, 2026 (0-1)

Three Knights Game · ECO C42 · for Black

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.Bb5 Nd4 5.Bc4 Bc5 6.Nxe5 Qe7 7.Nf3 d5 8.Bxd5 Nxd5 9.Nxd4 Nxc3 10.bxc3 Qxe4+ …

51 games · avg. Elo 2620 · W/D/L 8/37/6 · Model game: Vidit – Abdusattorov, 2024 (1/2-1/2)

Modern Attack · ECO C43 · for Black

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.d4 Nxe4 4.dxe5 d5 5.Nbd2 Qd7 6.Bd3 Nc5 7.Be2 Ne6 8.O-O Be7 9.Re1 O-O 10.Nf1 c5 …

41 games · avg. Elo 2627 · W/D/L 11/23/7 · Model game: Wei Yi – Nakamura, 2025 (0-1)

Modern Attack · ECO C43 · for Black

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.d4 Nxe4 4.dxe5 d5 5.Nbd2 Qd7 6.Bd3 Nc5 7.Be2 Ne6 8.O-O Be7 9.Re1 O-O 10.Nf1 c5 …

41 games · avg. Elo 2627 · W/D/L 11/23/7 · Model game: Wei Yi – Nakamura, 2025 (0-1)

French Attack · ECO C42 · for Black

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d3 Nf6 6.d4 d5 7.Bd3 Bd6 8.Qe2+ Qe7 9.Qxe7+ Kxe7 10.O-O Nc6 …

31 games · avg. Elo 2614 · W/D/L 5/24/2 · Model game: Robson – Hovhannisyan, 2026 (1/2-1/2)

Classical Attack, Mason-Showalter Variation · ECO C42 · for Black

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.O-O Be7 8.Nbd2 Bf5 9.Re1 Nxd2 10.Qxd2 Bxd3 …

25 games · avg. Elo 2629 · W/D/L 6/17/2

Classical Attack, Mason-Showalter Variation · ECO C42 · for Black

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.O-O Be7 8.Nbd2 Bf5 9.Re1 Nxd2 10.Qxd2 Bxd3 …

25 games · avg. Elo 2629 · W/D/L 6/17/2

Karklins-Martinovsky Variation · ECO C42 · for Black

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nd3 Nxe4 5.Qe2 Qe7 6.Nf4 Nf6 7.d4 Qxe2+ 8.Bxe2 Nc6 9.c3 d5 10.h4 h5 …

24 games · avg. Elo 2621 · W/D/L 4/17/3 · Model game: Nihal – Cheparinov, 2024 (1/2-1/2)

Millennium Attack · ECO C42 · for Black

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.Bd3 Nf6 6.O-O Be7 7.Re1 O-O 8.Bf1 d5 9.d4 h6 10.h3 c5 …

19 games · avg. Elo 2617 · W/D/L 5/13/1 · Model game: Vitiugov – Kuzubov, 2025 (1/2-1/2)

Damiano Variation, Kholmov Gambit · ECO C42 · for Black

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 Nxe4 4.Qe2 Qe7 5.Qxe4 d6 6.d4 dxe5 7.dxe5 Nc6 8.Nc3 Qxe5 9.Qxe5+ Nxe5 10.Bf4 Bd6 …

18 games · avg. Elo 2631 · W/D/L 5/13/0 · Model game: Karjakin – Inarkiev, 2024 (1/2-1/2)

Damiano Variation, Kholmov Gambit · ECO C42 · for Black

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 Nxe4 4.Qe2 Qe7 5.Qxe4 d6 6.d4 dxe5 7.dxe5 Nc6 8.Nc3 Qxe5 9.Qxe5+ Nxe5 10.Bf4 Bd6 …

18 games · avg. Elo 2631 · W/D/L 5/13/0 · Model game: Karjakin – Inarkiev, 2024 (1/2-1/2)

Kaufmann Attack · ECO C42 · for Black

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.c4 Nc6 6.d3 Nf6 7.d4 d5 8.c5 g6 9.Bb5 Bg7 10.O-O O-O …

16 games · avg. Elo 2618 · W/D/L 6/8/2 · Model game: Pechac – Bogner, 2025 (1/2-1/2)

Kaufmann Attack · ECO C42 · for Black

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.c4 Nc6 6.d3 Nf6 7.d4 d5 8.c5 g6 9.Bb5 Bg7 10.O-O O-O …

16 games · avg. Elo 2618 · W/D/L 6/8/2 · Model game: Pechac – Bogner, 2025 (1/2-1/2)

Modern Attack, Murrey Variation · ECO C43 · for Black

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.d4 Nxe4 4.Bd3 Nc6 5.Nxe5 Nxe5 6.dxe5 Nc5 7.Bc4 d6 8.Qf3 Ne6 9.exd6 Bxd6 10.Nc3 Qe7 …

14 games · avg. Elo 2603 · W/D/L 2/12/0 · Model game: Harikrishna – Erdos, 2025 (1/2-1/2)

Main line · ECO C42 · for Black

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.d3 Nc6 4.g3 d5 5.exd5 Nxd5 6.Bg2 Bd6 7.O-O O-O 8.a3 a5 9.b3 Re8 10.Bb2 Bg4 …

13 games · avg. Elo 2613 · W/D/L 4/8/1 · Model game: Esipenko – Nesterov, 2025 (1/2-1/2)

Paulsen Attack · ECO C42 · for Black

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nc4 Nxe4 5.Qe2 Qe7 6.Ne3 Nc6 7.Nc3 Nf6 8.b4 Nxb4 9.Qb5+ Nc6 10.Bb2 a6 …

11 games · avg. Elo 2670 · W/D/L 2/4/5 · Model game: Vachier Lagrave – Cheng, 2026 (1-0)

Cozio Attack · ECO C42 · for Black

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.Qe2 Qe7 6.d3 Nf6 7.Nc3 Nc6 8.Be3 Be6 9.O-O-O O-O-O 10.d4 d5 …

11 games · avg. Elo 2638 · W/D/L 0/10/1 · Model game: Adams – Bluebaum, 2025 (0-1)