Petrov's Defense: Modern Attack, Steinitz Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
1,953 games: White 58.8% / Draw 3.6% / Black 37.5%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 793793 | ||
| 760760 | ||
| 354354 | ||
| 2626 | ||
| 66 | ||
| 55 | ||
| 22 | ||
| 11 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 27, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.02 The position is about equal
Best play: 5... Bb4+ 6. Nbd2 Nxd2 7. Bxd2 Bxd2+ 8. Qxd2 c5 9. O-O-O Nc6 10. Qf4
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Petrov's Defense: Modern Attack, Steinitz Variation (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. Qe2 (5 moves).
In 1,953 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 58.8%, Black 37.5% and 3.6% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 5…d5, in 41% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, Petrov's Defense: Modern Attack, Bardeleben Variation.
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, Steinitz Variation
5…Bb4+ scores best for Black: 45.3%, with Black winning 43.5% and White 52.8% of 354 games. The most played answer, 5…d5, scores lowest: 37.3% in 793 games. Stockfish's first choice is also 5…Bb4+.
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
Variations (1)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Petrov's Defense: Modern Attack, Steinitz Variation (C43)”. Lichess data as of 27 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/petrovs-defense-modern-attack-steinitz-variation