- ECO code
- C42
- Moves
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6
- Family
- Petrov's Defense
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 1,655
- Average game length
- 42 moves
- Years covered
- 1850–2026
Petrov's Defense is the opening filed under ECO code C42, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6. It belongs to the Petrov's Defense family; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 1,655 games on this line — the 72nd most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1850 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 560 games. An average game here lasts 42 moves.
White wins 32% of those games, 54% end in a draw, and Black wins 14%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores worse here by 14 percentage points. Draws are more common here than usual, by 19 points.
From this position the most popular move is 4.Nf3, played in 1,578 games, followed by 4.Nd3 (46) and 4.Nc4 (27). 4.Nf3 leads into Petrov's Defense (C42). After 4.Nf3 White scores 32% and Black 14%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Shirov,A (95 games); on the Black side, Nepomniachtchi,I (74).
5 named variations branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Petrov's Defense (C42); Petrov's Defense (C42); Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack.
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Results in master games
- White 32% (532)
- Draws 54% (887)
- Black 14% (236)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.Nf3 | 1,578 | 32/54/14 | Petrov's Defense (C42) |
| 4.Nd3 | 46 | 44/39/17 | — |
| 4.Nc4 | 27 | 37/33/30 | — |
| 4.Nxf7 | 4 | 0/25/75 | — |
Variations from this position
- Petrov's Defense (C42) · 4.Nf3 · 1,578 games
- Petrov's Defense (C42) · 4.Nf3 Nxe4 · 1,578 games
- Classical Attack · 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 · 894 games
- Nimzowitsch Attack · 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.Nc3 · 404 games
- Classical Attack, Mason-Showalter Variation · 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Nc6 · 337 games
How the position is reached
- King's Pawn Game · 1.e4 · 62,859 games
- King's Pawn Game · 1.e4 e5 · 24,632 games
- King's Knight Opening · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 · 21,895 games
- Petrov's Defense · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 · 2,341 games
- Petrov's Defense · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 · 1,694 games
Played most often by
As White
- Shirov,A 95
- Vachier Lagrave,M 95
- Anand,V 78
As Black
- Nepomniachtchi,I 74
- Kramnik,V 61
- Mamedyarov,S 56
Games per decade
- 1850s 6
- 1860s 1
- 1870s 5
- 1890s 4
- 1900s 24
- 1910s 43
- 1920s 5
- 1930s 1
- 1940s 2
- 1950s 6
- 1960s 12
- 1970s 25
- 1980s 71
- 1990s 87
- 2000s 406
- 2010s 397
- 2020s 560
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sevian,Samuel | Nepomniachtchi,I | 1-0 | 2026 | 1st 3-0 Thu 5th Feb 2026 |
| Abdusattorov,Nodirbek | Nepomniachtchi,I | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Chess.com Open Loser Playoffs |
| Abdusattorov,Nodirbek | Dominguez Perez,L | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | FIDE World Rapid Team |
| Nepomniachtchi,I | Atanasov,Anthony | 1-0 | 2026 | 1st 3-0 Thu 8th Jan 2026 |
| Keymer,Vincent | Nguyen,Thai Dai Van | 1-0 | 2026 | 88th Tata Steel Masters |
| Grischuk,A | Yu Yangyi | 1-0 | 2026 | 8th SCO Int Team Final |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Petrov's Defense?
It is the opening with ECO code C42, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6. It belongs to the Petrov's Defense family.
Is the Petrov's Defense good for White or for Black?
In 1,655 master games on this line White wins 32%, 54% are drawn and Black wins 14%. The collection average is White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28% — so this line is no worse than usual for White than the field as a whole.
What is the main continuation of the Petrov's Defense?
4.Nf3 — played in 1,578 of the master games on this line, which leads into Petrov's Defense (C42).
Which grandmasters play the Petrov's Defense?
On the White side Shirov,A (95), Vachier Lagrave,M (95), Anand,V (78); on the Black side Nepomniachtchi,I (74), Kramnik,V (61), Mamedyarov,S (56).
Every number on this page is computed from Katuranga's master game collection; names and ECO codes follow the lichess opening book (CC0).
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