Chess lessons › Chess openings
Petrov’s Defence
Black copies White’s knight move and attacks e4 at once. It is also called the Russian Game.
The idea
Black copies White’s knight move and attacks e4 at once.
- Black’s knight on g8 copies White’s own knight move.
- It goes to f6, attacking e4 just as White’s knight attacks e5.
- Both sides now attack a central pawn with a knight.
In a game: Spot it when Black answers 2.Nf3 with 2...Nf6 instead of 2...Nc6.
How the lesson begins
Find the move
Black to move. Instead of defending e5 with 2...Nc6, copy White’s move and attack e4.
A hint
The knight on g8 can reach f6 and attack e4.
Show the answer
2... Nf6
Nf6 attacks the pawn on e4, copying White’s own knight move. This is Petrov’s Defence, also called the Russian Game, after the 19th-century Russian master Alexander Petrov. Among players rated 1200 to 1599 on Lichess, it was chosen in only 9% of the games that reached this position; 2...Nc6 was chosen in 65%.
Find the move
White to move. Black’s knight attacks e4, but your knight attacks e5, and nothing defends that pawn. Take it.
A hint
The knight on f3 can take the pawn on e5.
Show the answer
3. Nxe5
Nxe5 wins the pawn, for now. Black will win back the pawn on e4, but how Black does it matters, as you will see.
In numbers
How often it is played
| Rating | Value |
|---|---|
| Under 800 | 37 |
| 800 to 1199 | 24 |
| 1200 to 1599 | 16 |
| 1600 to 1999 | 9.9 |
| 2000 and up | 6.2 |
How the games ended
White won 51%, 4% were drawn and Black won 45%, over 26,634 games that start this way, in a sample of rated Lichess games from 2026.