C42 · Open · a defense for Black
Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Jaenisch Variation
15/15
1.e4e52.Nf3Nf63.Nxe5d64.Nf3Nxe45.d4d56.Bd3Nc67.O-OBe78.c4
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Jaenisch Variation30k games · Black to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
65%19k50%
18%5.2k48%
7.1%2.1k43%
6%1.8k45%
2%59946%
1.5%44044%
0.3%9132%
0%1213%
0%520%
0%40%
Famous games in this line3.6k master games
Kasparov, Garry (2851) – Anand, Viswanathan (2769)Kasparov, Garry (2851) – Kramnik, Vladimir (2758)Anand, Viswanathan (2794) – Kramnik, Vladimir (2802)Kasparov, Garry (2815) – Kramnik, Vladimir (2780)Kasparov, Garry (2838) – Adams, Michael (2742)Anand, Viswanathan (2790) – Kramnik, Vladimir (2788)Ivanchuk, Vassily (2787) – Kramnik, Vladimir (2785)Anand, Viswanathan (2792) – Kramnik, Vladimir (2769)Heroes of this opening Kasparov, Garry · Anand, Viswanathan
- Family
- Petrov's Defense
- Category
- Open
- First move
- 1.e4
- ECO
- C42
- Line
- 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Nc6 7. O-O Be7 8. c4
SolidAggressiveClassical
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Go deeper — named lines from here
Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Chigorin Variation, Main LineC42 8…Nb4 9.Be2Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Chigorin Variation, Browne AttackC42 8…Nb4 9.cxd5
Nearby lines in the family
From the archives
Named for the 19th-century Russian master Alexander Petrov, the Petrov spent a century labeled 'drawish' — then Fabiano Caruana brought it to the 2018 World Championship, where it answered both of Magnus Carlsen's 1.e4 games and drew both. All twelve classical games were drawn and the title went to a rapid tiebreak. Symmetry, it turns out, is a weapon too.
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