Opening family
Petrov's Defense Lines and Variations
The Petrov's Defense family contains 50 named lines in this opening book, spanning ECO C42 to C43. Use this page as the map, then open individual lines for exact move orders and diagrams.
How to study this family
White
White should use the move order as a checkpoint: finish development, identify the central break, and compare the continuations below before memorizing moves.
Black
Black should ask what White is threatening in the center, then choose development moves that prepare a clean pawn break or a useful exchange.
Start with the shortest line, then branch to the variations that change the pawn structure or tactical target. Memorizing every branch before understanding the family plan is usually wasted work.
Main named lines
- C42 · Petrov's Defense
- C42 · Petrov's Defense
- C42 · Petrov's Defense: Italian Variation
- C42 · Petrov's Defense: Three Knights Game
- C43 · Petrov's Defense: Modern Attack
- C42 · Petrov's Defense
- C42 · Petrov's Defense: Damiano Variation
- C42 · Petrov's Defense: Stafford Gambit
- C43 · Petrov's Defense: Modern Attack
- C43 · Petrov's Defense: Modern Attack, Symmetrical Variation
- C42 · Petrov's Defense
- C42 · Petrov's Defense: Cochrane Gambit
- C42 · Petrov's Defense: Karklins-Martinovsky Variation
- C42 · Petrov's Defense: Moody Gambit
- C42 · Petrov's Defense: Paulsen Attack
- C43 · Petrov's Defense: Modern Attack, Center Variation
- C42 · Petrov's Defense
- C42 · Petrov's Defense: Damiano Variation, Kholmov Gambit
- C42 · Petrov's Defense: Stafford Gambit Accepted
- C43 · Petrov's Defense: Modern Attack, Murrey Variation
- C42 · Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack
- C42 · Petrov's Defense: Cochrane Gambit, Bishop Check Line
- C42 · Petrov's Defense: Cochrane Gambit, Center Variation
- C42 · Petrov's Defense: Cozio Attack
Deep theory branches
- 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 — Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Maróczy 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 9. cxd5 f5 10. Re1 Bxh2+ — Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Marshall Trap
- 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 — Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Berger 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 — Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Krause 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 9. Re1 Bg4 — Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Marshall Variation, Chinese Gambit
- 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 — Petrov's Defense: 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. Be2 — Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Chigorin Variation, Main Line
- 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 — Petrov's Defense: 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 Bg4 — Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Tarrasch 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 — Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Chigorin 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 — Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Jaenisch Variation
- 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Be7 7. O-O O-O — Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Mason Variation
- 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. d4 Nxe4 4. Bd3 d5 5. Nxe5 Bd6 6. O-O O-O 7. c4 Bxe5 — Petrov's Defense: Modern Attack, Trifunovic Variation
- 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Bd6 — Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Marshall Variation
- 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Nc6 — Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Mason-Showalter Variation
- 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. d4 exd4 4. e5 Ne4 5. Qe2 Nc5 6. Nxd4 Nc6 — Petrov's Defense: Modern Attack, Bardeleben Variation