Chess Openings - Petroff Defense

Petroff Defense

The Petroff Defense begins with ... ♞f6 on move two. Instead of defending the e5-pawn, Black counterattacks the e4-pawn, and the game often becomes symmetrical and solid. The opening is also called the Russian Game and is named after Alexander Petrov, a Russian player of the early nineteenth century.

The defense has the reputation of being one of Black's most reliable answers to 1. e4. White's critical reply is 3. ♘xe5, and almost all of the theory concerns what happens after it. The other third moves (3. d4, 3. ♘c3 and 3. ♗c4) are covered at the end of this page.

Basic ideas

The order of moves after 3. ♘xe5 is the first thing to learn. The natural-looking 3... ♞xe4 runs into a trap: after 4. ♕e2 the knight must leave the e-file, and 4... ♞f6 allows 5. ♘c6+, a discovered check that wins the queen.

Black can avoid the trap with 4... ♛e7, but after 5. ♕xe4 d6 6. d4 dxe5 7. dxe5 White has the easier game. The correct method is to kick the knight first: 3... d6 forces it back, and only after 4. ♘f3 does Black take on e4. White has won the e5-pawn, Black wins the e4-pawn back, and the central pawns are symmetrical.

This is a typical development: both sides play d4 and d5, the bishops go to d3 and e7, and both castle short. With the pawns symmetrical, the fight is about small differences in piece activity. White has the first move and uses it to attack the knight on e4 and to challenge d5 with c2-c4. Black keeps the position solid and aims to trade pieces.

Pawn breaks and piece play

White's main break is c2-c4, which attacks d5 and tries to open lines in the center. Black answers with ... ♞b4 or ... c6 and sometimes captures with ... dxc4, giving up the center to free the pieces. For Black the freeing moves are ... ♝f5 and ... ♝g4, which develop the light-squared bishop outside the pawn chain, and ... ♞f6 to retreat the knight when the attack on e4 becomes too strong.

The structure is symmetrical, so neither side has an obvious weakness. Exchanges therefore tend to simplify the position, and the small advantage of the first move is often all that White can count on.

Main line 3. ♘xe5 d6

After 3. ♘xe5 d6 4. ♘f3 ♞xe4 the knight on e4 is centralized and attacks f2 and d2. White has three principal fifth moves: 5. d4, the Classical Attack; 5. ♕e2, which attacks the knight along the file; and 5. ♘c3, which offers an exchange. The rarer 4. ♘d3 retreats the knight instead, and 4. ♘xf7 is the Cochrane Gambit.

Classical attack 5. d4

5. d4 occupies the center and prepares to attack the knight with ♗d3. Black answers 5... d5, which supports the knight, and White continues 6. ♗d3. Black has three main moves here: 6... ♝e7, 6... ♞c6 and 6... ♝d6. The first is the main line, and 6... ♞c6 usually transposes to it after 7. O-O ♝e7.

Main line 6... ♝e7

Black develops the bishop and castles after 7. O-O ♞c6. White's main try is 8. c4, hitting d5, and Black answers 8... ♞b4, attacking the bishop on d3. After 9. ♗e2 O-O 10. ♘c3 ♝f5 White plays 11. a3, and the exchange 11... ♞xc3 12. bxc3 ♞c6 follows.

White accepts doubled pawns on the c-file in return for a strong center and active pieces. Black's knight returns to c6 and attacks d4, and the fight is about the center pawns: White wants to support d4 and capture on d5, Black wants to exchange on c4 and use the open lines.

Reply 7... ♞c6 and 8. ♖e1

White can also attack the knight on e4 directly with 8. ♖e1. Black develops with 8... ♝g4, pinning the knight on f3 to the queen, and after 9. c4 the knight retreats with 9... ♞f6. White continues with 10. ♘c3, and the central tension remains.

Line 6... ♝d6

Black can also develop the bishop to d6, where it eyes the kingside and prepares ... O-O. After 7. O-O O-O 8. c4 c6 9. ♘c3 the knight is attacked again, and Black exchanges with 9... ♞xc3 10. bxc3 dxc4. White recaptures 11. ♗xc4 and Black plays 11... ♝g4, pinning the knight on f3.

Reply 5. ♕e2

5. ♕e2 attacks the knight along the e-file and avoids committing the central pawns. Black replies 5... ♛e7, protecting the knight, and after 6. d3 ♞f6 White plays 7. ♗g5, pinning the f6-knight to the queen. Black offers a queen exchange with 7... ♛xe2+ 8. ♗xe2 ♝e7, and White has developed more pieces. Play continues 9. ♘c3 c6 10. O-O-O.

Reply 5. ♘c3

5. ♘c3 offers to exchange the active knight. After 5... ♞xc3 6. dxc3 ♝e7 the d-file is open. White develops with 7. ♗f4, which attacks c7, and Black castles. White continues 8. ♕d2 ♞d7 9. O-O-O ♞f6. The kings are on opposite wings, so White often advances the h-pawn, while Black plays on the center with ... c5 and ... ♝f5.

Cochrane gambit 4. ♘xf7

White sacrifices the knight for two pawns and an attack on the king. After 3. ♘xe5 d6 4. ♘xf7 ♚xf7 White plays 5. d4 to open lines for the pieces, with ideas such as ♗c4+ and ♕h5+. Black has a piece for two pawns, and the gambit is rarely seen in serious games because Black has several safe ways to defend. A typical defense is 5... ♝e7, and after 6. ♘c3 c5 7. dxc5 dxc5 White has open lines and the check 8. ♗c4+, while Black keeps the extra piece.

Steinitz attack 3. d4

3. d4 challenges at once and is known as the Steinitz Attack. Black has two replies. 3... exd4 leads to 4. e5 ♞e4 5. ♕xd4 d5 6. exd6 ♞xd6 7. ♘c3 ♞c6 8. ♕f4: White's queen has been brought out, but Black gains time with 7... ♞c6 and both sides develop quickly. The position is open, and both sides develop quickly.

The other reply is 3... ♞xe4, which leads to 4. ♗d3 d5 5. ♘xe5. Black challenges the knight with 5... ♞d7, and after 6. ♘xd7 ♝xd7 7. O-O ♝d6 8. c4 c6 9. ♘c3 ♞xc3 10. bxc3 White has a larger center, while Black has a solid structure and a flexible position. The pawns on c6 and d5 against White's c3 and d4 give a symmetrical pawn skeleton.

Three knights 3. ♘c3

3. ♘c3 develops a third knight and avoids the exchange on e5. Black can reply 3... ♞c6, which transposes to the Four Knights Game, or 3... ♝b4, pinning the knight. After 4. ♘xe5 O-O 5. ♗e2 ♜e8 6. ♘d3 ♝xc3 7. dxc3 ♞xe4 Black regains the pawn and has active pieces, while White has the bishop pair and doubled pawns on the c-file.

Other third moves

3. ♗c4

3. ♗c4 develops the bishop and aims at the f7-pawn. Black replies 3... ♞xe4, and after 4. ♘c3 ♞xc3 5. dxc3 f6 the pawn on f6 guards e5 and g5 and prevents White's knight from jumping to e5. After 6. O-O Black develops with 6... ♞c6 and has a safe position.

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