Petrov's Defense
What is the Petrov's Defense?
The Petrov's Defense is a chess opening that begins with 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6. It is classified under ECO C42–C43 and has 50 named variations. Black chooses it with the move Nf6.
Moves: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6
ECO: C42–C43
Chosen by: Black
Main variations
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Bc4
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. d4
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nc3
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 Nxe4
All 50 variations
| ECO | Variation | Moves |
|---|---|---|
| C42 | Main line | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 |
| C42 | Main line | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 |
| C42 | Italian Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Bc4 |
| C43 | Modern Attack | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. d4 |
| C42 | Three Knights Game | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nc3 |
| C42 | Main line | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 |
| C42 | Damiano Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 Nxe4 |
| C43 | Modern Attack | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. d4 exd4 |
| C43 | Modern Attack, Symmetrical Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. d4 d5 |
| C42 | Stafford Gambit | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 Nc6 |
| C42 | Main line | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 |
| C42 | Cochrane Gambit | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nxf7 |
| C42 | Karklins-Martinovsky Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nd3 |
| C43 | Modern Attack, Center Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. d4 Nxe4 4. Bd3 |
| C42 | Moody Gambit | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Qe2 Nc6 4. d4 |
| C42 | Paulsen Attack | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nc4 |
| C42 | Main line | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 |
| C42 | Damiano Variation, Kholmov Gambit | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 Nxe4 4. Qe2 Qe7 |
| C43 | Modern Attack, Murrey Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. d4 Nxe4 4. Bd3 Nc6 |
| C42 | Stafford Gambit Accepted | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 Nc6 4. Nxc6 dxc6 |
| C42 | Classical Attack | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 |
| C42 | Cochrane Gambit, Bishop Check Line | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nxf7 Kxf7 5. Bc4+ |
| C42 | Cochrane Gambit, Center Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nxf7 Kxf7 5. d4 |
| C42 | Cozio Attack | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Qe2 |
| C42 | French Attack | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d3 |
| C42 | Kaufmann Attack | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. c4 |
| C42 | Millennium Attack | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Bd3 |
| C43 | Modern Attack, Center Attack | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. d4 exd4 4. e5 Ne4 5. Qxd4 |
| C43 | Modern Attack, Steinitz Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. d4 exd4 4. e5 Ne4 5. Qe2 |
| C43 | Modern Attack, Tal Gambit | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. d4 exd4 4. e5 Ne4 5. Bb5 |
| C42 | Nimzowitsch Attack | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Nc3 |
| C42 | Classical Attack, Closed Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 Nf6 |
| C42 | Stafford Gambit Accepted | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 Nc6 4. Nxc6 dxc6 5. Nc3 Bc5 |
| C42 | Stafford Gambit Accepted | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 Nc6 4. Nxc6 dxc6 5. d3 Bc5 |
| C42 | Classical Attack, Marshall Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Bd6 |
| C42 | Classical Attack, Mason-Showalter Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Nc6 |
| C43 | Modern Attack, Bardeleben Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. d4 exd4 4. e5 Ne4 5. Qe2 Nc5 6. Nxd4 Nc6 |
| C42 | Classical Attack, Mason Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Be7 7. O-O O-O |
| C43 | Modern Attack, Trifunovic Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. d4 Nxe4 4. Bd3 d5 5. Nxe5 Bd6 6. O-O O-O 7. c4 Bxe5 |
| C42 | Classical Attack, Chigorin Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Be7 7. O-O Nc6 8. Re1 |
| C42 | Classical Attack, Jaenisch Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Nc6 7. O-O Be7 8. c4 |
| C42 | Classical Attack, Staunton Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Bd6 7. O-O O-O 8. c4 c6 |
| C42 | Classical Attack, Tarrasch Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Bd6 7. O-O O-O 8. c4 Bg4 |
| C42 | Classical Attack, Chigorin Variation, Browne Attack | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Nc6 7. O-O Be7 8. c4 Nb4 9. cxd5 |
| C42 | Classical Attack, Chigorin Variation, Main Line | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Nc6 7. O-O Be7 8. c4 Nb4 9. Be2 |
| C42 | Classical Attack, Marshall Variation, Chinese Gambit | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Bd6 7. O-O O-O 8. c4 c6 9. Re1 Bg4 |
| C42 | Classical Attack, Berger Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Be7 7. O-O Nc6 8. Re1 Bg4 9. c3 f5 10. Nbd2 |
| C42 | Classical Attack, Krause Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Nc6 7. O-O Be7 8. Re1 Bg4 9. c3 f5 10. c4 |
| C42 | Classical Attack, Maróczy Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Be7 7. O-O Nc6 8. Re1 Bg4 9. c3 f5 10. c4 Bh4 |
| C42 | Classical Attack, Marshall Trap | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Bd6 7. O-O O-O 8. c4 Bg4 9. cxd5 f5 10. Re1 Bxh2+ |
How to learn an opening
Learn the ideas before the moves: where the pieces go, which pawn breaks matter and what the typical middlegame plans are. Then play it, and after each game look up the point where you or your opponent left the known moves. MentoChess shows that point automatically for every game you import.
Opening lessons: Three golden opening rules · Scholar’s mate and how to stop it · Italian Game: plans, not just moves · Answering 1.d4: the Queen’s Gambit Declined · Meeting the Sicilian with 2.c3 · From moves to structures