C42 · Open · a defense for Black
Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Mason Variation
14/14
1.e4e52.Nf3Nf63.Nxe5d64.Nf3Nxe45.d4d56.Bd3Be77.O-OO-O
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Mason Variation86k games · White to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
41%35k55%
39%33k57%
6%5.2k52%
5.9%5.1k53%
2.9%2.5k52%
2.2%1.9k50%
1.9%1.6k49%
0.7%62751%
0.6%48743%
0.2%18949%
Famous games in this line308 master games
Anand, V. (2767) – Yu Yangyi (2738)Carlsen, M. (2827) – Granda Zuniga, J. (2653)Wei Yi (2734) – Li Chao2 (2725)Bacrot, E. (2725) – Li Chao2 (2732)Sevian, Samuel (2610) – Li Chao2 (2745)Yu Yangyi (2753) – Bai, Jinshi (2600)Van Foreest, Jorden (2624) – Li Chao2 (2708)Adams, Michael (2726) – Granda Zuniga, Julio E (2588)Heroes of this opening Carlsen, M. · Wei Yi · Yu Yangyi
- 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 Be7 7. O-O O-O
SolidAggressiveClassical
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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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