Petrov's Defense: Kaufmann Attack
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Statistics from Lichess
41,558 games: White 52.3% / Draw 7.5% / Black 40.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 19,14219K | ||
| 5,6815,681 | ||
| 5,1315,131 | ||
| 2,8532,853 | ||
| 2,5912,591 | ||
| 1,6171,617 | ||
| 1,2961,296 | ||
| 913913 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.14 The position is about equal
Best play: 5... Nc6 6. d3 Nf6 7. d4 Be7 8. d5 Ne5 9. Nxe5 dxe5 10. Bd3
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Petrov's Defense: Kaufmann Attack (ECO C42, Open Games) is a variation of Petrov's Defense, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. c4 (5 moves).
In 41,558 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 52.3%, Black 40.2% and 7.5% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 5…Be7, in 46% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against Petrov's Defense: Kaufmann Attack
5…Nc6 scores best for Black: 46.1%, with Black winning 41.7% and White 49.5% of 5,681 games. The most played, 5…Be7, scores 44.7% in 19K games, and 5…Bg4 scores lowest: 41.5%. Stockfish's first choice is also 5…Nc6.
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Petrov's Defense: Kaufmann Attack (C42)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/petrovs-defense-kaufmann-attack