Petrov's Defense: Millennium Attack
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Statistics from Lichess
101,689 games: White 47.1% / Draw 6.0% / Black 46.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 34,90935K | ||
| 34,46434K | ||
| 24,31024K | ||
| 3,7553,755 | ||
| 2,8332,833 | ||
| 809809 | ||
| 260260 | ||
| 109109 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 1, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.14 The position is about equal
Best play: 5... Nf6 6. O-O Be7 7. c3 Bg4 8. h3 Bh5 9. Re1 d5 10. Qe2
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Petrov's Defense: Millennium 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. Bd3 (5 moves).
In 101,689 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.1%, Black 46.9% and 6.0% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 5…Nf6, in 34% 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: Millennium Attack
5…Nc5 scores best for Black: 51.7%, with Black winning 48.5% and White 45.1% of 24K games. The most played, 5…Nf6, scores 50.7% in 35K games, and 5…d5 scores lowest: 50.1%. Stockfish's first choice is 5…Nf6.
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: Millennium Attack (C42)”. Lichess data as of 1 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/petrovs-defense-millennium-attack