Tree path 8 levels King's Pawn Game › King's Knight Opening › Petrov's Defense › Petrov's Defense › Petrov's Defense › Petrov's Defense › Petrov's Defense › French Attack
Petrov's Defense: French Attack
Overview
Petrov's Defense: French Attack is a specific line in the Open Games family (ECO C42), arising from a recognised theoretical position.
The Open Games group covers open games — classical 1.e4 e5 openings where both sides contest the centre directly with pawns.
It is reached after 9 plies of play, with the move sequence 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d3.
The line refines Petrov's Defense, which traces back to the root opening King's Pawn Game.
Explore the position on the interactive board, study its real-world results from Lichess, and challenge the engine when you are ready.
- ECO code
- C42
- Group
- Open Games (C)
- Plies
- 9
- Parent
- Petrov's Defense
This overview is generated automatically from the opening's metadata. Know this line well? Write a description — submissions are reviewed before publishing.
Statistics from Lichess
458,036 games · White 46.7% / Draw 6.8% / Black 46.5%
| Moves | Games | W / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 427,056 | |
| Nc5 | 26,482 | |
| d5 | 2,092 | |
| Qe7 | 1,077 | |
| Nxf2 | 618 | |
| f6 | 199 | |
| Ng5 | 161 | |
| Be7 | 90 |
Source: Lichess Opening Explorer · cached 2026-09-26 02:04:19
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