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| Moves | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| ECO | C42–C43 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Named after | Alexander Petrov | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Parent | King's Knight Opening | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Synonyms |
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Petrov's Defence or thePetrov Defence (also calledPetroff Defence,Petrov's Game,Russian Defence, orRussian Game [Russian:Русская партия]) is achess opening characterised by the following moves:
Although thissymmetrical response has a long history, it was first popularised byAlexander Petrov, aRussianchess player in the mid-19th century. In recognition of the early investigations by the Russian masters Petrov andCarl Jaenisch, this opening is called the Russian Game in some countries.
The Petrov has a drawish reputation; however, it offers attacking opportunities for both sides, and a few lines are quitesharp. Often a trade occurs and Black, after gaining atempo, has a well-placedknight.Pillsbury's game in 1895[1] againstEmanuel Lasker testifies to this. The Black counterattack in thecentre also avoids theRuy Lopez,Giuoco Piano (and other lines of theItalian Game), and theScotch Game. The Petrov has been adopted by many of the world's leading players, including world championsVasily Smyslov,Tigran Petrosian,Anatoly Karpov, andVladimir Kramnik, along withgrandmasterFabiano Caruana and others.
TheEncyclopaedia of Chess Openings codes for Petrov's Defence are C43 (for 3.d4) and C42 (for all other lines).[2]
White's two main choices are 3.Nxe5 and 3.d4. 3.Nxe5 is more popular but they often lead to similar positions and "there is no clear reason to prefer one move over the other".[3]
3.Nc3 maytranspose to theFour Knights Game. 3.Bc4 may lead to theBoden–Kieseritzky Gambit or transpose to theTwo Knights Defence orBishop's Opening. Occasionally seen is thequiet 3.d3.
Examined in this article are the following common variations:
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
| 8 |              | 8 | |||||||
| 7 | 7 | ||||||||
| 6 | 6 | ||||||||
| 5 | 5 | ||||||||
| 4 | 4 | ||||||||
| 3 | 3 | ||||||||
| 2 | 2 | ||||||||
| 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
After 3.Nxe5, the Classical Variation, the standard reply for Black is 3...d6. After 4.Nf3 Nxe4, White's main options are 5.d4, intending to undermine the knight on e4, and 5.Nc3, aiming for rapid development with queen's side castling and a king's side attack. Other moves offer little hope for an advantage.
This is the most common line and typically most often continues 5...d5 6.Bd3. The position is similar to anExchange French in which Black has played the extra move ...Nf6–e4, though this extra move is not necessarily to Black's advantage. White will try to drive Black's advanced knight from e4 with moves like c4 and Re1. In practice White is usually able to achieve this, but at some structural cost such as having to play c4, which balances out.[4]
A completely different approach is to meet 4...Nxe4 with 5.Nc3 Nxc3 6.dxc3 with rapiddevelopment andqueensidecastling. For instance, White can plan a quick Be3, Qd2, and 0-0-0, and play for akingside attack, trusting that thedoubled c-pawns will help protect the king, and that a stronginitiative and attacking potential will offset the longterm disadvantage of having doubled pawns. In the 5.Nc3 line, Black must avoid 5...Bf5?? 6.Qe2! which wins a piece due to thepin (if 6...Qe7 7.Nd5, forcing 7...Qd7 because of the threat to the c7-pawn; then 8.d3 wins the piece).Viswanathan Anand resigned after only six moves after falling for this againstAlonso Zapata at Biel in 1988.[5]
These lines are all relatively uncommon today.
The Damiano Variation, 3...Nxe4, has traditionally been regarded as an error, though it has occasionally been seen in recent grandmaster play. Black must play accurately to avoid an immediately losing position. After 4.Qe2 there are several moves that Black must avoid.
Best is 4...Qe7 5.Qxe4 d6 6.d4 dxe5 7.dxe5 Nc6, and after 8.Nc3 Qxe5 9.Qxe5+ Nxe5 10.Nb5 (or 10.Bf4) White has a moderate advantage.[11][12]
Recently dubbed the Stafford Gambit, 3... Nc6?! is considered dubious, but it sets a number oftraps. It was advocated byEric Rosen in the early 2020s and became popular in online games. After 4.Nxc6 dxc6, White wins a pawn but must play carefully. After 5.e5 (5.d3 is better) Ne4 6.d3?? (White should play 6.Nc3, 6.d4, or 6.Qe2) 6...Bc5! and White resigned in Lowens–Stafford, US correspondence game 1950.[13][14] After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 Nc6 4.Nxc6 dxc6 5.d3 Bc5, White must avoid theLégal Trap 6.Bg5?? Nxe4!, and if 7.Bxd8 (relatively best but still losing is 7.Be3) 7...Bxf2+ 8. Ke2 Bg4#. Instead, White should play 6.Be2 Bc5 7.c3! with d3–d4 to follow, and Black has insufficient compensation for the pawn, though White must still play carefully.[15]
This move was favoured byWilhelm Steinitz, who recommended it in hisThe Modern Chess Instructor (1889) and played it three times againstHarry Nelson Pillsbury in theSaint Petersburg 1895–96 tournament, winning two games and drawing one.
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 8 | |
| 7 |  |  | | |  | | | | 7 | |
| 6 | | | | | | | | | 6 | |
| 5 | | | | | | | | | 5 | |
| 4 | | | |  |  | | | | 4 | |
| 3 | | | | | |  | | | 3 | |
| 2 | | | | | | | | | 2 | |
| 1 |  | |  |  |  |  | |  | 1 | |
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h |
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | | | | | | | |  | 8 | |
| 7 | | | | | | | | | 7 | |
| 6 | | | | | | | | | 6 | |
| 5 | | | | | | | | | 5 | |
| 4 | | | | | | | | | 4 | |
| 3 | | | | | | | | | 3 | |
| 2 | | | |  | | | | | 2 | |
| 1 | | | | | | | | | 1 | |
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h |
After 3...Nxe4, 4.Bd3 d5 (4...Nc6!? 5.Bxe4 d5, intending 6.Bd3 e4, is also possible) 5.Nxe5, when either 5...Nd7 or 5...Bd6 gives roughly equal chances.
A long and complicated tactical sequence which has frequently been seen in master games is 3...Nxe4 4.Bd3 d5 5.Nxe5 Bd6 6.0-0 0-0 7.c4 Bxe5 8.dxe5 Nc6 9.cxd5 Qxd5 10.Qc2 Nb4 11.Bxe4 Nxc2 12.Bxd5 Bf5 13.g4 Bxg4 14.Be4 Nxa1 15.Bf4 f5 16.Bd5+ Kh8 17.Rc1 c6 18.Bg2 Rfd8 19.Nd2 (diagram) and White has the slightly better endgame after either 19...Rxd2 20.Bxd2 Rd8 21.Bc3 Rd1+ 22.Rxd1 Bxd1 or 19...h6 20.h4.[16][17]
After 3...exd4, the usual continuation is 4.e5 Ne4 (4...Qe7?! 5.Be2 is better for White) 5.Qxd4 (5.Qe2 is also possible) d5 6.exd6 Nxd6, followed by 7.Nc3 Nc6 8.Qf4 or 7.Bd3 Nc6 8.Qf4.
4.Bc4 transposes into theUrusov Gambit, which is not considered wholly sound.
3.Bc4 is an occasionally seen alternative for White, often with the intention of playing 3...Nxe4 4.Nc3, the Boden–Kieseritzky Gambit. Black's main alternatives to 3...Nxe4 are 3...Nc6, transposing to theTwo Knights Defence, and the aggressive 3...d5.
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
| 8 | | 8 | |||||||
| 7 | 7 | ||||||||
| 6 | 6 | ||||||||
| 5 | 5 | ||||||||
| 4 | 4 | ||||||||
| 3 | 3 | ||||||||
| 2 | 2 | ||||||||
| 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
The gambit is not considered wholly sound, since Black has several viable options. Black can accept the gambit with 4...Nxc3 5.dxc3 f6, but must play carefully after 6.0-0 (for example 6...Bc5?? 7.Nxe5! is disastrous; 6...d6 and 6...Nc6 are good).
Another more aggressive try is 6.Nh4, where White goes for a quick assault on Black's king, but Black can maintain a small advantage if he plays cautiously via 6...g6 7.f4 Qe7 8.f5 Qg7 9.Qg4 Kd8. Another possibility is returning the gambit pawn with 4...Nxc3 5.dxc3 c6 6.Nxe5 d5, which equalises.
A third possibility is transposing to theItalian Four Knights Game with 4...Nc6, and if 5.Nxe4, 5...d5. If 5.Bxf7+?, then 5...Kxf7 6.Nxe4 d5 gives Black thebishop pair and control of thecentre. If 5.0-0, Black plays 5...Nxc3 6.dxc3 and now Black can play 6...Qe7!, after whichBobby Fischer wrote that "White has no compensation for the Pawn",[18] or 6...f6 transposing to the main line of the Boden–Kieseritzky. Black also has lines beginning 6...Be7 and 6...h6.
This leads to the Three Knights Game of Petrov's Defence. It is often played by White in order to avoid lines unique to the Petrov, as 3...Nc6, which transposes to theFour Knights Game, is Black's most common and best regarded response. It can also be reached via 2.Nc3 Nf6 (theVienna Game) 3.Nf3. The main alternative is 3...Bb4, and after 4.Nxe5 0-0 5.Be2 Re8 6.Nd3 Bxc3 7.dxc3 Nxe4 8.Nf4 d6 9.0-0 White has a slight advantage due to the bishop pair.[19]
White declines to exchange any pieces and instead defends the pawn on e4. Black usually responds with 3...Nc6. White often intends either 4.Be2 or to fianchetto with 4.g3 and 5.Bg2. These lines are also sometimes reached by transposition, and are also the main lines of two rare third moves for White after2.Nf3 Nc6, 3.g3 (theKonstantinopolsky Opening[20]) and 3.Be2 (theTayler Opening[21]), which both most often continue 3...Nf6 4.d3.
The symmetrical 3...d6 and aggressive 3...d5, typically continuing with either 4.exd5 Qxd5 5.Nc3 Bb4 6.Bd2 Bxc3 7.Bxc3 Nc6 or with 4.Nbd2, which transposes to the 2.d3 line ofAlekhine's Defence, are notable alternatives for Black.
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