Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...e5/2. Nf3/2...Nf6

Petrov's Defence
a b c d e f g h 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 a b c d e f g h
Position in Forsyth-Edwards Notation (FEN) rnbqkb1r/pppp1ppp/5n2/4p3/4P3/5N2/PPPP1PPP/RNBQKB1R w
Moves: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6

Russian game

2...Nf6

The Russian game (or Petrov's Defence) is a solid response to White's 2. Nf3. While this opening is often drawish and boring, it is still popular, and quite often played in chess tournaments. White has a couple of good responses here:

• 3. Nxe5 is the main line (or Classical Variation). If ...Nc6 is played afterwards, it will most likely be the Stafford Gambit. In this line, it's not advised for Black to take White's pawn before having chased the knight. There is a famous trap : 3...Nxe4? 4. Qe2 Nd6?? (or 4...Nf6??) 5. Nc6+ and Black's queen is lost. There are a few lines that are quite dangerous in the Classical Variation, especially the Cochrane Gambit, which goes 3...d6 4. Nxf7, sacrificing a knight for two pawns and an exposed king. Rarely do games in the Cochrane Gambit end in a draw, especially due to the attacking opportunities and aggression offered by the position as White tries to gain a pawn back (3 pawns for a knight is material equality), while Black tries to maintain its advantage of a pawn.
• 3. Nc3 is the Three Knights Game. Black can easily transpose into the Four Knights Game with 3...Nc6. This option is sound when White wants to avoid the sharp lines of Petrov's Defence. However, Black can avoid the Four Knights transposition with 3...Bb4, also pressuring the knight on c3 and making the game a little more active than it would be with the slow maneuvering of the Four Knights Game.
• 3. Bc4 leaves White's e4 pawn undefended but develops another piece aiming at the f7 square. This usually transposes into the Two Knights Defence (a variation of the Italian Game) with 3...Nc6 but can continue in its own line (such as the Boden–Kieseritzky Gambit).
• 3. d4 is the Steinitz Variation. Both players will usually plant their knights in advanced positions. Exchanges often occur in this line to avoid having too powerful an enemy knight in front of the king. This is a rather sharp variation of the Petrov's Defence.
• 3. d3 is, according to statistics, a much more effective move than it looks, though it's rarely played. White builds a strong fortress and Black is now forced to abandon the Petrov's lines and to defend his pawn.

Theory table

For explanation of theory tables, see theory table and for notation, see algebraic notation..

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6

	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15
Classical Variation	Nxe5 d6	Nf3 Nxe4	d4 d5	Bd3 Nc6	0-0 Be7	c4 Nb4	Be2 0-0	Nc3 Bf5	a3 Nxc3	bxc3 Nc6	Re1 Re8	cxd5 Qxd5	Bf4 Rac8	=
Steinitz Variation	d4 Nxe4	Bd3 d5	Nxe5 Nd7	Nxd7 Bxd7	0-0 Bd6	c4 c6	cxd5 cxd5	Nc3 Nxc3	bxc3 0-0	Qh5 g6	Qxd5 Qc7	=
Two Knights Defence	Bc4 Nc6	=
Four Knights Game	Nc3 Nc6	=
	d3 Nc6	=

References

• Kasparov, Garry, & Keene, Raymond 1989 Batsford chess openings 2. ISBN 0-8050-3409-9.