Chess: Understanding Petroff's Defense

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 Nxe5 d6 4 Nf3 Nxe4:



Which Way Forward White?



5 Nc3 Nxc3 6 dxc3 Be7 7 Bf4 O-O
8 Qd2 Nd7 9 O-O-O Nc5 10 Nd4 Re8
11 f3 Ne6 12 Be3 Nxd4 13 cxd4 Bf6
14 Bd3 Be6 15 h4 c5 16 Bg5 h6
17 d5 Bd7 18 Bf4.



5 Nc3 Nxc3 6 dxc3 Be7 7 Bf4 O-O
8 Qd2 Nd7 9 O-O-O Nc5 10 Nd4 Re8
11 f3 Ne6 12 Be3 Nxd4 13 cxd4 Bf6
14 Bd3 Be6 15 g4 Bd5 16 Rhf1 Qe7
17 Rde1 Bh4 18 Re2.



5 Nc3 Nxc3 6 dxc3 Be7 7 Bf4 O-O
8 Qd2 Nd7 9 O-O-O Nc5 10 Nd4 Re8
11 f3 Ne6 12 Be3 Nxd4 13 cxd4 c6
14 Bd3 Be6 15 Kb1.



5 Nc3 Nxc3 6 dxc3 Be7 7 Bf4 O-O
8 Qd2 Nd7 9 O-O-O Nc5 10 Nd4 Re8
11 f3 Ne6 12 Be3 Bg5 13 f4 Bf6
14 Nf3 b6/Nc5.



5 Nc3 Nxc3 6 dxc3 Be7 7 Bf4 O-O
8 Qd2 Nd7 9 O-O-O Nc5 10 Nd4 Re8
11 f3 Ne6 12 Be3 Bg5 13 Nxe6 Bxe3
14 Nxd8 Bxd2+ 15 Kxd2 Rxd8
16 Bd3 Bd7 17 Rhe1 Re8 18 Rxe8+
18 ... Rxe8.



5 Nc3 Nxc3 6 dxc3 Be7 7 Bf4 O-O
8 Qd2 Nd7 9 O-O-O Nc5 10 Nd4 Re8
11 f3 Ne6 12 Be3 Bg5 13 Bxg5 Qxg5
14 Qxg5 Nxg5 15 Nb5 Ne6 16 Re1 Bd7
17 Rxe6 Bxb5 18 Rxe8+ Bxe8.



5 Nc3 Nxc3 6 dxc3 Be7 7 Bf4 O-O
8 Qd2 Nd7 9 O-O-O Nc5 10 Nd4 Re8
11 f3 Ne6 12 Be3 Nxd4 13 cxd4 Bf6
14 Bd3 Be6 15 g4/h4.



5 Nc3 Nxc3 6 dxc3 Be7 7 Bf4 O-O
8 Qd2 Nd7 9 O-O-O Nc5 10 Nd4 Re8
11 f3 Ne6 12 Be3 Nxd4 13 cxd4 c6
14 Bd3 Be6 15 Kb1.



5 Nc3 Nxc3 6 dxc3 Be7 7 Bf4 O-O
8 Qd2 Nd7 9 O-O-O Nc5 10 Nd4 Re8
11 f3 Ne6 12 h4 Nxf4 13 Qxf4 d5
14 Nf5 Bf6 15 Bd3 Be5 16 Qd2.



5 Nc3 Nxc3 6 dxc3 Be7 7 Bf4 O-O
8 Qd2 Nd7 9 O-O-O Nc5 10 Nd4 Ne6
11 Be3 Nxd4 12 cxd4 c6 13 Bd3/d5.



5 Nc3 Nxc3 6 dxc3 Be7 7 Bf4 O-O
8 Qd2 Nd7 9 O-O-O Nc5 10 Nd4 Ne6
11 Be3 Nxd4 12 cxd4 Bf5 13 f3 Re8
14 g4 Bg6 15 Kb1 Bh4 16 Bf2 h6
17 f4 Be4 18 Rg1.



5 Nc3 Nxc3 6 dxc3 Be7 7 Bf4 O-O
8 Qd2 Nd7 9 O-O-O Nc5 10 Nd4 Bf6
11 f3 Ne6 12 Be3 Nxd4 13 cxd4 Re8
14 Bd3 Be6 15 g4/h4.



5 Nc3 Nxc3 6 dxc3 Be7 7 Bf4 O-O
8 Qd2 Nd7 9 O-O-O Nc5 10 Be3 Re8
11 Bc4 Be6 12 Bxe6 Nxe6 13 h4 Qd7
14 Kb1 Qb5 15 g4 Qc4 16 Rdg1 Nc5
17 g5 Ne4 18 Qd3.



5 Nc3 Nxc3 6 dxc3 Be7 7 Bf4 O-O
8 Qd2 Nd7 9 O-O-O Nc5 10 Be3 Re8
11 h4 Bg4 12 Be2 Qc8 13 Kb1 Ne4
14 Qe1 Bf6 15 h5 Qe6 16 h6 Nxf2
17 Qxf2 Qxe3 18 Qg3.



5 Nc3 Nxc3 6 dxc3 Be7 7 Bf4 O-O
8 Qd2 Nd7 9 O-O-O Nc5 10 Be3 Be6
11 Kb1 a6 12 Nd4 Bd7 13 f3 Re8
14 h4 Na4 15 Bg5 b5 16 Bd3 Nb6
17 Qf4 c5 18 Nf5.



5 Nc3 Nxc3 6 dxc3 Be7 7 Bf4 O-O
8 Qd2 Nd7 9 O-O-O Nc5 10 Be3 Be6
11 Kb1 Qc8 12 Nd4 Bd7 13 h4 Re8
14 f3 Bf8 15 g4 Ne6 16 h5 Nxd4
17 cxd4 Bc6 18 Rh3.



5 Nc3 Nxc3 6 dxc3 Be7 7 Bf4 O-O
8 Qd2 Nd7 9 O-O-O Nc5 10 h3 Re8
11 g4 Ne4 12 Qe1 Bf6 13 Be3 c6
14 Bd3 Qa5 15 Bxe4.



5 Nc3 Nxc3 6 dxc3 Be7 7 Bf4 O-O
8 Qd2 Nd7 9 O-O-O Nc5 10 h3 Re8
11 g4 Ne4 12 Qe1 Bf6 13 Be3 b6.



5 Nc3 Nxc3 6 dxc3 Be7 7 Bf4 O-O
8 Qd2 Nd7 9 O-O-O Nc5 10 h3 Re8
11 Bc4 Be6 12 Bxe6 Nxe6 13 Be3 a5
14 h4 a4 15 a3 Qd7.



5 Nc3 Nxc3 6 dxc3 Be7 7 Bf4 O-O
8 Qd2 Nd7 9 O-O-O Nc5 10 Kb1 Bf6
11 Be3 b6 12 Nd4 Bb7 13 f3 a6
14 h4 Re8 15 Rh3.



5 Nc3 Nxc3 6 dxc3 Be7 7 Bf4 O-O
8 Qd2 Nd7 9 O-O-O Nc5 10 Kb1 Bf6
11 Be3 Re8 12 Bc4 Be6 13 Bxe6 Rxe6
14 Nd4 Re8 15 f3.



5 Nc3 Nxc3 6 dxc3 Be7 7 Bf4 O-O
8 Qd2 Nd7 9 O-O-O Nc5 10 h4 c6
11 Bg5 d5 12 Bxe7 Qxe7 13 Nd4
13 ... Ne4 14 Qe1 Qf6 15 f3.



5 Nc3 Nxc3 6 dxc3 Be7 7 Bf4 O-O
8 Qd2 Nd7 9 O-O-O Re8 10 Bc4 Nb6
11 Bd3 Be6 12 Ng5/12 Kb1/12 h4/
12 Rhe1.



5 Nc3 Nxc3 6 dxc3 Be7 7 Bf4 O-O
8 Qd2 Nd7 9 O-O-O Re8 10 Nd4 Nc5
11 f3 Ne6 12 Be3/12 h4.



5 Nc3 Nxc3 6 dxc3 Be7 7 Bf4 O-O
8 Qd2 Nd7 9 O-O-O Re8 10 Bd3 Nc5
11 h3 Be6 12 Kb1 Qd7 13 Nd4 Nxd3
14 Qxd3 Bf6 15 f3.



5 Nc3 Nxc3 6 dxc3 Be7 7 Bf4 O-O
8 Qd2 Nc6 9 O-O-O Bf6 10 Bd3 Ne5
11 Bxe5 dxe5 12 Qe3 Qe7 13 h4 Re8
14 Rde1 g6 15 h5.



5 Nc3 Nxc3 6 dxc3 Be7 7 Bf4 Nc6
8 Qd2 Bg4/ 8 ... Be6.



5 Nc3 Nxc3 6 dxc3 Be7 7 Bf4 Nd7
8 Qd2 O-O/ 8 ... Nc5.
5 Nc3 Nxc3 6 dxc3 Be7 7 Be3 O-O/
7 ... Nc6/ 7 ... Nd7/7 ... d5.



5 Nc3 Nxc3 6 dxc3 Be7 7 Qd4 O-O
8 Be3 Nc6 9 Qf4 Qd7 10 h3 Qf5
11 Qa4 Qa5 12 Qxa5 Nxa5
13 Nd4 a6 14 g4.
5 Nc3 Nxc3 6 dxc3 Be7 7 Be2 O-O
8 O-O Nd7 9 c4 Nf6 10 Be3 Bf5.



5 Nc3 Nxc3 6 dxc3 Nc6 7 Bf4/
7 Be2/ 7 Be3.
5 Nc3 Nxc3 6 dxc3 Nd7 7 Bf4 Be7
8 Qd2 O-O/ 8 ... Nc5.