C42 · Open · a defense for Black
Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Mason-Showalter Variation
12/12
1.e4e52.Nf3Nf63.Nxe5d64.Nf3Nxe45.d4d56.Bd3Nc6
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Mason-Showalter Variation99k games · White to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
73%72k51%
9.3%9.2k46%
7.1%7.0k46%
4.2%4.2k50%
1.9%1.8k52%
1.6%1.6k49%
1.5%1.4k43%
0.4%42547%
0.4%42048%
0.4%35746%
Famous games in this line4.9k 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)Anand, Viswanathan (2794) – Kramnik, Vladimir (2797)Kasparov, Garry (2838) – Adams, Michael (2742)Topalov, Veselin (2780) – Kramnik, Vladimir (2799)Anand, Viswanathan (2790) – Kramnik, Vladimir (2788)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
SolidAggressiveClassical
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Go deeper — named lines from here
Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Jaenisch VariationC42 7.O-O Be7 8.c4 · 2 deeper linesPetrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Chigorin Variation, Main LineC42 7.O-O Be7 8.c4 Nb4 9.Be2Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Chigorin Variation, Browne AttackC42 7.O-O Be7 8.c4 Nb4 9.cxd5Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Krause VariationC42 7.O-O Be7 8.Re1 Bg4 9.c3 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.
Study this opening