C42 · Open · a defense for Black

Petrov's Defense: Cozio Attack

9/9
1.e4e52.Nf3Nf63.Nxe5d64.Nf3Nxe45.Qe2
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Petrov's Defense: Cozio Attack877k games · Black to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
97%851k51%
1.6%14k23%
0.5%4.7k21%
0.3%2.3k32%
0.2%1.9k22%
0.1%64216%
0.1%59527%
0.1%50211%
0%42713%
0%9219%
Famous games in this line1.8k master games
Carlsen, M. (2834)Caruana, F. (2811)2018½–½Kramnik, V. (2800)Caruana, F. (2784)20180–1So, W. (2799)Caruana, F. (2784)2018½–½Harikrishna, P. (2737)Giri, A. (2798)2015½–½Nakamura, Hi (2750)Mamedyarov, S. (2776)2022½–½Rapport, R. (2764)Duda, J. (2750)2022½–½Nakamura, Hikaru (2783)Giri, Anish (2730)20121–0Shirov, Alexei (2710)Kramnik, Vladimir (2790)1998½–½
Heroes of this opening Caruana, F. · Nakamura, Hikaru
Category
Open
First move
1.e4
ECO
C42
Line
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Qe2
SolidAggressiveClassical
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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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