Petrov's Defense
ECO C42-C43beginner
Petrov's Defense, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6, ignores the attack on e5 and counterattacks e4 — a symmetry-based equalizing strategy with a century of elite credibility, most recently as Caruana's world-championship defense. Beginners must learn its first lesson immediately: 3.Nxe5 must be met by 3...d6 first (3...Nxe4? 4.Qe2 wins material), and only then ...Nxe4. White's tries for an edge come from 3.d4 (the Steinitz) or the main line 5.d4 with a small space pull.
Main line
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.Nc3 Nxc3 6.dxc3 Be7 7.Be3 O-O
Diagram shows the position after 6 half-moves of the main line. On SpeakChess you can drill this line move by move — the trainer plays the other side and corrects you instantly, then spaced repetition schedules each variation so you review it right before you would forget it.
Win rates by rating
Results from real online games, measured after the line shown in each row. Most opening sites show one aggregate number — how an opening scores depends heavily on who is playing it.
| Rating | Games | White wins | Draws | Black wins | Position after |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 400-600 | 109 | 37.6% | 10.1% | 52.3% | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 |
| 600-800 | 226 | 58.9% | 4.9% | 36.3% | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 |
| 800-1000 | 33 | 33.3% | 6.1% | 60.6% | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.Nc3 Nxc3 6.dxc3 |
| 1000-1200 | 36 | 55.6% | 2.8% | 41.7% | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.Nc3 Nxc3 6.dxc3 Be7 |
| 1200-1400 | 108 | 40.7% | 3.7% | 55.6% | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.Nc3 Nxc3 6.dxc3 Be7 |
Most played continuations (600-800 rating)
After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4:
- Qe2 — played 37.2% of the time (White wins 64.3%, draws 3.6%, Black wins 32.1%)
- d3 — played 24.8% of the time (White wins 58.9%, draws 10.7%, Black wins 30.4%)
- Bc4 — played 10.6% of the time (White wins 45.8%, draws 0%, Black wins 54.2%)
Frequently asked questions
Is the Petrov a drawing weapon?
It is the most solid reply to 1.e4 in existence, but 'solid' is not 'drawn' — the 5.Nc3 and opposite-side castling lines produce real attacking games, and White's many small-edge tries all carry losing chances for the unprepared. Black wins plenty of Petrovs by simply being the better-prepared side.
What is the trap in Petrov's Defense?
After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5, the natural 3...Nxe4? runs into 4.Qe2! and Black is already lost material: 4...Nf6 5.Nc6+ discovered check wins the queen. The correct sequence is 3...d6 4.Nf3 and only now 4...Nxe4.
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