- ECO code
- C42
- Moves
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.Nc3
- Family
- Petrov's Defense
- To move
- Black
- Master games
- 404
- Average game length
- 44 moves
- Years covered
- 1851–2026
Petrov's Defense: Nimzowitsch Attack is the opening filed under ECO code C42, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.Nc3. It belongs to the Petrov's Defense family and is known as the Nimzowitsch Attack; in the resulting position it is Black to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 404 games on this line — the 245th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1851 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2010s, with 184 games. An average game here lasts 44 moves.
White wins 34% of those games, 51% end in a draw, and Black wins 15%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores worse here by 13 percentage points. Draws are more common here than usual, by 16 points.
From this position the most popular move is 5...Nxc3, played in 356 games, followed by 5...Nf6 (44) and 5...d5 (4). After 5...Nxc3 White scores 32% and Black 15%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Caruana,F (31 games); on the Black side, Wei Yi (19).
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Results in master games
- White 34% (136)
- Draws 51% (208)
- Black 15% (60)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5...Nxc3 | 356 | 32/53/15 | — |
| 5...Nf6 | 44 | 45/39/16 | — |
| 5...d5 | 4 | 50/25/25 | — |
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
- Petrov's Defense · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 · 1,655 games
- Petrov's Defense · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 · 1,578 games
- Petrov's Defense · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 · 1,578 games
Played most often by
As White
- Caruana,F 31
- Karjakin,Sergey 31
- Nepomniachtchi,I 30
As Black
- Wei Yi 19
- Giri,A 18
- Kramnik,V 17
Games per decade
- 1850s 2
- 1900s 5
- 1910s 4
- 1980s 4
- 1990s 3
- 2000s 80
- 2010s 184
- 2020s 122
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nepomniachtchi,I | Atanasov,Anthony | 1-0 | 2026 | 1st 3-0 Thu 8th Jan 2026 |
| Yakubboev,Nodirbek | Abdusattorov,Nodirbek | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | 8th Prague Masters 2026 |
| Nepomniachtchi,I | Erigaisi,Arjun | 1-0 | 2026 | Chess.com Open Loser Playoffs |
| Nepomniachtchi,I | Esipenko,Andrey | 1-0 | 2026 | 75th Ann. Karpov 2026 |
| Nepomniachtchi,I | Duda,J | 0-1 | 2026 | Chess.com Open Playoffs |
| Caruana,F | Kravtsiv,M | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | 2nd 3-0 Thu 25th Jun 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Petrov's Defense: Nimzowitsch Attack?
It is the opening with ECO code C42, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.Nc3. It belongs to the Petrov's Defense family.
Is the Petrov's Defense: Nimzowitsch Attack good for White or for Black?
In 404 master games on this line White wins 34%, 51% are drawn and Black wins 15%. 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: Nimzowitsch Attack?
5...Nxc3 — played in 356 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Petrov's Defense: Nimzowitsch Attack?
On the White side Caruana,F (31), Karjakin,Sergey (31), Nepomniachtchi,I (30); on the Black side Wei Yi (19), Giri,A (18), Kramnik,V (17).
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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