ECO C42 · Petrov's Defense

Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4

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Black to move. The arrow shows Stockfish’s best move.
Best move

5… d5+0.41

White is slightly better. Stockfish 18, depth 18.

Analyze this position

In the Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack (C42), reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4, Stockfish 18 recommends 5… d5 for Black. White is slightly better (+0.41).

Top engine moves

  1. +0.415… d5 6. Bd3 Bb4+ 7. c3 Bd6 8. O-O O-O 9. c4 c6 10. Re1
  2. +0.475… Be7 6. Bd3 d5 7. O-O Nc6 8. Re1 O-O 9. c4 Bf5 10. Nc3
  3. +0.505… Bf5 6. Bd3 d5 7. O-O Be7 8. Re1 O-O 9. c4 Nc6 10. Nc3

Variations

Frequently asked questions

What is the best move in the Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack?
After 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4, Stockfish 18 at depth 18 recommends 5… d5 for Black, continuing 6. Bd3 Bb4+ 7. c3 Bd6 8. O-O O-O 9. c4 c6 10. Re1. White is slightly better (+0.41). The next best moves are 5… Be7 (+0.47) and 5… Bf5 (+0.50).
Is the Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack a good opening?
Stockfish rates the position at +0.41: white is slightly better. Evaluations this early in the game are small, so practical results depend far more on knowing the plans and typical structures than on the engine's number.
What is the ECO code of the Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack?
C42. ECO codes classify chess openings from A00 to E99; C is the volume for open games and the French Defense.

Opening names from the Lichess opening book (CC0). Pieces by Colin M.L. Burnett (GPLv2+).