Petrov's Defense: Modern Attack, Symmetrical Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
108,349 games: White 52.3% / Draw 4.6% / Black 43.1%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 67,36267K | ||
| 18,56119K | ||
| 18,23518K | ||
| 1,6981,698 | ||
| 1,1531,153 | ||
| 342342 | ||
| 254254 | ||
| 223223 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 2, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.53 White is slightly better
Best play: 4. exd5 exd4 5. Bb5+ Bd7 6. Nxd4 Be7 7. Bc4 c6 8. dxc6 Nxc6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Petrov's Defense: Modern Attack, Symmetrical Variation (ECO C43, Open Games) is a variation of Petrov's Defense: Modern Attack, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. d4 d5 (3 moves).
In 108,349 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 52.3%, Black 43.1% and 4.6% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. dxe5, in 62% 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, Symmetrical Variation
4. exd5 scores best for White: 57.7%, with White winning 55.7% and Black 40.2% of 18K games. The most played answer, 4. dxe5, scores lowest: 53.6% in 67K games. Stockfish's first choice is also 4. exd5.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White'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, Symmetrical Variation (C43)”. Lichess data as of 2 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/petrovs-defense-modern-attack-symmetrical-variation