Petrov's Defense: Modern Attack, Center Attack
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Statistics from Lichess
120,886 games: White 47.9% / Draw 5.6% / Black 46.5%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 109,028109K | ||
| 6,4316,431 | ||
| 2,7312,731 | ||
| 1,2691,269 | ||
| 843843 | ||
| 131131 | ||
| 9595 | ||
| 9494 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 6, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.47 White is slightly better
Best play: 5... d5 6. exd6 Nxd6 7. Nc3 Nc6 8. Qf4 Be6 9. Bd2 g6 10. Bb5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Petrov's Defense: Modern Attack, Center Attack (ECO C43, Open Games) is a variation of Petrov's Defense: Modern Attack, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. d4 exd4 4. e5 Ne4 5. Qxd4 (5 moves).
In 120,886 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.9%, Black 46.5% and 5.6% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 5…d5, in 90% 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: Modern Attack, Center Attack
The most played answer, 5…d5, also scores best for Black: 50.8%, with Black winning 47.9% and White 46.3% of 109K games. Of the main answers, 5…Nc5 scores lowest: 40.6%. Stockfish's first choice is also 5…d5.
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: Modern Attack, Center Attack (C43)”. Lichess data as of 6 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/petrovs-defense-modern-attack-center-attack