- ECO code
- C43
- Moves
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.d4
- Family
- Petrov's Defense
- To move
- Black
- Master games
- 385
- Average game length
- 41 moves
- Years covered
- 1853–2026
Petrov's Defense: Modern Attack is the opening filed under ECO code C43, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.d4. It belongs to the Petrov's Defense family and is known as the Modern Attack; in the resulting position it is Black to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 385 games on this line — the 254th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1853 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 152 games. An average game here lasts 41 moves.
White wins 35% of those games, 46% end in a draw, and Black wins 19%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores worse here by 9 percentage points. Draws are more common here than usual, by 11 points.
From this position the most popular move is 3...Nxe4, played in 333 games, followed by 3...exd4 (48) and 3...d5 (3). After 3...Nxe4 White scores 35% and Black 21%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Vachier Lagrave,M (20 games); on the Black side, Ivanchuk,V (17).
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Results in master games
- White 35% (133)
- Draws 46% (177)
- Black 19% (75)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3...Nxe4 | 333 | 35/44/21 | — |
| 3...exd4 | 48 | 35/59/6 | — |
| 3...d5 | 3 | 33/0/67 | — |
| 3...d6 | 1 | 0/100/0 | — |
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
Played most often by
As White
- Vachier Lagrave,M 20
- Nepomniachtchi,I 19
- Erigaisi,Arjun 14
As Black
- Ivanchuk,V 17
- Nepomniachtchi,I 17
- Kramnik,V 13
Games per decade
- 1850s 1
- 1890s 7
- 1900s 12
- 1910s 3
- 1920s 3
- 1930s 3
- 1940s 3
- 1950s 3
- 1960s 15
- 1970s 11
- 1980s 11
- 1990s 50
- 2000s 65
- 2010s 46
- 2020s 152
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kacharava,Nikolozi | Ivanchuk,V | 1-0 | 2026 | 26th ch-EUR Indiv 2026 |
| Erigaisi,Arjun | Kvaloy,Aksel Bu | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 13th Jan 2026 |
| Gukesh,D | Deac,Bogdan-Daniel | 0-1 | 2026 | GCT Super Rapid Croatia |
| Abdusattorov,Nodirbek | Firouzja,Alireza | 1-0 | 2026 | FIDE World Bl Team Pool C |
| Grischuk,A | Atanasov,Anthony | 0-1 | 2026 | 2nd 3-0 Thu 22nd Jan 2026 |
| Ivic,Velimir | Ivanchuk,V | 0-1 | 2026 | Tata Steel Challengers |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Petrov's Defense: Modern Attack?
It is the opening with ECO code C43, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.d4. It belongs to the Petrov's Defense family.
Is the Petrov's Defense: Modern Attack good for White or for Black?
In 385 master games on this line White wins 35%, 46% are drawn and Black wins 19%. 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: Modern Attack?
3...Nxe4 — played in 333 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Petrov's Defense: Modern Attack?
On the White side Vachier Lagrave,M (20), Nepomniachtchi,I (19), Erigaisi,Arjun (14); on the Black side Ivanchuk,V (17), Nepomniachtchi,I (17), Kramnik,V (13).
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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