C43 · Open · a defense for Black

Petrov's Defense: Modern Attack, Bardeleben Variation

12/12
1.e4e52.Nf3Nf63.d4exd44.e5Ne45.Qe2Nc56.Nxd4Nc6
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Petrov's Defense: Modern Attack, Bardeleben Variation217 games · White to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
43%9449%
30%6460%
12%2654%
7.8%1750%
3.2%771%
2.3%50%
0.9%2100%
0.5%1100%
0.5%1100%
Famous games in this line1 master games
Hector, Jonny (2533)Neiksans, Arturs (2470)20081–0
Category
Open
First move
1.e4
ECO
C43
Line
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. d4 exd4 4. e5 Ne4 5. Qe2 Nc5 6. Nxd4 Nc6
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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