C43 · Open · a defense for Black
Petrov's Defense: Modern Attack
5/5
1.e4e52.Nf3Nf63.d4
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Petrov's Defense: Modern Attack2.7M games · Black to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
41%1.1M48%
5.5%148k42%
0.4%11k35%
0.3%7.1k24%
0.2%5.3k37%
0.2%4.9k19%
0.2%4.3k42%
Famous games in this line6.4k master games
Carlsen, M. (2855) – Nepomniachtchi, I. (2782)So, Wesley (2770) – Caruana, Fabiano (2835)Carlsen, M. (2830) – Abdusattorov, Nodirbek (2766)Nepomniachtchi, I.. (2784) – Aronian, L.. (2781)So, W. (2773) – Nepomniachtchi, I. (2792)Nepomniachtchi, I. (2751) – Mamedyarov, S. (2809)Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar (2760) – Kramnik, Vladimir (2799)Giri, A. (2777) – Aronian, L. (2782)Heroes of this opening Carlsen, M. · So, W. · Aronian, L.
- Family
- Petrov's Defense
- Category
- Open
- First move
- 1.e4
- ECO
- C43
- Line
- 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. d4
SolidAggressiveClassical
Explore all 50 Petrov's Defense lines →Keep exploring
Go deeper — named lines from here
Petrov's Defense: Modern Attack, Symmetrical VariationC43 3…d5Petrov's Defense: Modern Attack, Center VariationC43 3…Nxe4 4.Bd3 · 2 deeper linesPetrov's Defense: Modern Attack, Murrey VariationC43 3…Nxe4 4.Bd3 Nc6Petrov's Defense: Modern Attack, Tal GambitC43 3…exd4 4.e5 Ne4 5.Bb5
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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