C42 · Open · a defense for Black
Petrov's Defense: Stafford Gambit
6/6
1.e4e52.Nf3Nf63.Nxe5Nc6
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Petrov's Defense: Stafford Gambit4.4M games · White to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
84%3.7M48%
8.3%365k54%
4.4%194k56%
2.5%110k55%
0.3%14k49%
0.2%8.5k49%
0.2%7.2k30%
0.1%4.1k40%
0.1%3.2k25%
Famous games in this line12 master games
Hou Yifan (2658) – Dubov, Daniil (2714)Terry, R. (2514) – Lenderman, A. (2648)Zarubitski, Viachaslau (2441) – Van Foreest, Lucas (2531)Nestorovic, Nikola (2393) – Nikolic, Momcilo (2280)Suta, Andraz (2251) – Srebrnic, M.. (2400)Hinks Edwards, Thomas RJ (2393) – Pletanek, Jan (2242)Van Dael, Siem (2341) – Radeva, Viktoria (2274)Blomqvist, Erik (2334) – Holving, Rasmus (2210)Heroes of this opening Dubov, Daniil · Nestorovic, Nikola · Hinks Edwards, Thomas RJ · Radeva, Viktoria
- Family
- Petrov's Defense
- Category
- Open
- First move
- 1.e4
- ECO
- C42
- Line
- 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 Nc6
GambitSolidClassicalTrappy
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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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