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Petrov's Defense

Classical Attack, Chigorin Variation

C42positionalsolid

  1. 1.e4e5
  2. 2.Nf3Nf6
  3. 3.Nxe5d6
  4. 4.Nf3Nxe4
  5. 5.d4d5
  6. 6.Bd3Be7
  7. 7.O-ONc6
  8. 8.Re1
344 games44%49%

A Classical Attack line of Petrov's Defense in which White plays 8. Re1, pressing the e4 knight along the e-file instead of hitting d5 with c4.

Train it in Theoria

About the Chigorin Variation

The Chigorin Variation arises after 6...Be7 7. O-O Nc6 8. Re1. White trains the rook on the knight on e4 along the open e-file instead of striking at d5 with 8. c4. The most common reply, 8...Bg4, pins the f3 knight, and Black scores well with it in online play. The alternative 8...Bf5 supports the knight directly, while 8...O-O is rarer. Engines rate the position as roughly balanced.

Popular continuations

Named variations 2