C42 · Open · a defense for Black
Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Marshall Variation
12/12
1.e4e52.Nf3Nf63.Nxe5d64.Nf3Nxe45.d4d56.Bd3Bd6
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Marshall Variation285k games · White to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
77%219k52%
11%32k52%
3.3%9.3k50%
2.9%8.2k45%
2%5.6k51%
1.9%5.3k41%
0.6%1.8k46%
0.6%1.6k39%
0.4%1.2k45%
0.1%35519%
Famous games in this line3.6k master games
Carlsen, M. (2855) – Nepomniachtchi, I. (2782)Nepomniachtchi, I.. (2792) – Caruana, F.. (2820)Vachier Lagrave, M. (2789) – Caruana, F. (2822)Vachier Lagrave, M. (2789) – Caruana, F. (2816)Vachier Lagrave, M. (2796) – Caruana, F. (2808)Kasparov, Garry (2851) – Shirov, Alexei (2751)Anand, V. (2779) – Caruana, F. (2823)Carlsen, Magnus (2815) – Kramnik, Vladimir (2785)Heroes of this opening Nepomniachtchi, I.. · Kasparov, Garry · Carlsen, Magnus
- 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 Bd6
SolidAggressiveClassical
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Go deeper — named lines from here
Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Staunton VariationC42 7.O-O O-O 8.c4 c6 · 1 deeper linePetrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Tarrasch VariationC42 7.O-O O-O 8.c4 Bg4 · 1 deeper linePetrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Marshall Variation, Chinese GambitC42 7.O-O O-O 8.c4 c6 9.Re1 Bg4Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Marshall TrapC42 7.O-O O-O 8.c4 Bg4 9.cxd5 f5 …
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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