Petrov's Defense: Damiano Variation
The Damiano Variation of the Petrov's Defense is 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 Nxe4. Read the guide
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Statistics from Lichess
1,079,264 games: White 54.2% / Draw 5.2% / Black 40.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 669,137669K | ||
| 116,222116K | ||
| 70,88771K | ||
| 54,29654K | ||
| 41,97042K | ||
| 38,20838K | ||
| 29,22029K | ||
| 27,96028K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 28, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.49 White is slightly better
Best play: 4. Qe2 Qe7 5. Qxe4 d6 6. d4 dxe5 7. dxe5 Nc6 8. Nc3 Qxe5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
The stronger the players, the better this line does for Black: Black scores 36% under 1400, 53% at 2200 and up and 40% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 4.6M | |
| 1400–1799 | 1.6M | |
| 1800–2199 | 428K | |
| 2200 and up | 93K | |
| Masters, over the board | 375 |
Master games
- Carlsen, M. – Nakamura, H.
- Caruana, F. – Nakamura, H.
- Caruana, F. – Nakamura, H.
- Carlsen, M. – So, W.
- Vachier Lagrave, M. – Nakamura, H.
Rated blitz, rapid and classical Lichess games by rating band, and over-the-board games of players rated 2200+ from the Lichess masters database, updated Sep 27, 2026
Description
The Damiano Variation of the Petrov's Defense is 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 Nxe4. Black copies White's capture instead of first driving the knight back with 3...d6. It is usually regarded as an error, though it has occasionally been seen in recent grandmaster play, and Black must play accurately to avoid an immediately losing position.
Moves to avoid after 4.Qe2
After 4.Qe2, which attacks the knight on e4 along the e-file, there are several moves Black must avoid:
- 4...Nf6? 5.Nc6+ wins the queen with a discovered check.
- 4...d5 5.d3 Qe7 6.dxe4 Qxe5 7.exd5, and Black loses a pawn.
- 4...d6? 5.Nxf7 Kxf7 6.Qxe4, and Black has lost a pawn and the right to castle.
The best defence
Best is 4...Qe7 5.Qxe4 d6 6.d4 dxe5 7.dxe5 Nc6. After 8.Nc3 Qxe5 9.Qxe5+ Nxe5 10.Nb5, or 10.Bf4, White has a moderate advantage. The position after 4...Qe7 has its own page here, the Kholmov Gambit.
The numbers
On Lichess White wins 54.2% of the 1.1 million games and Black 40.6%. White's results fall as ratings rise: White wins 61.8% under 1400 and 62.0% between 1400 and 1799, but from 2200 up Black is ahead, 47.7% against 41.6%. In 375 master games over the board 56.0% were drawn, White won 31.7% and Black 12.3%.
Suggest an improvement or report a mistake
How to play against Petrov's Defense: Damiano Variation
The most played answer, 4. Qe2, also scores best for White: 58.8%, with White winning 56.0% and Black 38.4% of 669K games. Of the main answers, 4. Bc4 scores lowest: 50.8%. Stockfish's first choice is also 4. Qe2.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Popularity by year
Petrov's Defense: Damiano Variation has lost ground since 2016: 0.038% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.052%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.052% | 18,421 |
| 2017 | 0.037% | 20,622 |
| 2018 | 0.037% | 29,069 |
| 2019 | 0.036% | 45,442 |
| 2020 | 0.045% | 130,544 |
| 2021 | 0.046% | 179,169 |
| 2022 | 0.042% | 158,507 |
| 2023 | 0.042% | 157,955 |
| 2024 | 0.041% | 145,997 |
| 2025 | 0.038% | 132,170 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.04% | 43,959 |
Share of rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 (blitz, rapid and classical) that reach this position, by year; 2026: January to April. Which openings are rising and falling
Variations (1)
Sources
- History and theory: adapted from the Wikipedia article Petrov's Defence, version of 26 October 2026, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Results: Lichess opening explorer, figures collected from September to November 2026.
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Petrov's Defense: Damiano Variation (C42)”. Lichess data as of 28 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/petrovs-defense-damiano-variation