Caissa Codex
C42

Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Chigorin Variation, Main Line

Chess diagram: Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Chigorin Variation, Main Line after 9. Be2

Type a move and press Enter: e4, Nf3, O-O, or from and to squares like g1f3 (e7e8q to promote). The board is also played with the mouse.

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Statistics from Lichess

13,594 games: White 48.8% / Draw 9.8% / Black 41.4%

The moves played next. Pick one to see it on the board.
Next moveGamesWhite / Draw / BlackW / D / B
9,0349,034
1,7801,780
1,5611,561
781781
238238
8585
6464
1515

Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 6, 2026

Engine evaluation

+0.30 White is slightly better

Best play: 9... O-O 10. Nc3 Bf5 11. a3 Nxc3 12. bxc3 Nc6 13. Re1 dxc4 14. Bxc4

Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.

Overview

Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Chigorin Variation, Main Line (ECO C42, Open Games) is a variation of Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Jaenisch Variation, reached after 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 (9 moves).

In 13,594 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.8%, Black 41.4% and 9.8% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 9…O-O, in 66% of those games.

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How to play against Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Chigorin Variation, Main Line

9…Be6 scores best for Black: 50.8%, with Black winning 45.5% and White 43.9% of 781 games. The most played, 9…O-O, scores 46.2% in 9,034 games, and 9…dxc4 scores lowest: 46.0%. Stockfish's first choice is 9…O-O.

Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings

Other lines from the same position

Instead of 8…Nb4 9. Be2, the position after Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Jaenisch Variation also goes on to:

Cite this page

Caissa Codex. “Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack, Chigorin Variation, Main Line (C42)”. Lichess data as of 6 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/petrovs-defense-classical-attack-chigorin-variation-main-line

https://chesscodex.org/openings/petrovs-defense-classical-attack-chigorin-variation-main-line