Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4
What Is The Classical Attack?
5.d4 is the point of the Classical Attack: instead of chasing the knight on e4, you build the biggest centre and open both bishops. Black answers 5...d5, and the position settles into a mirror: pawns on d4 and d5, the e-file wide open, and Black's knight on e4 anchored by the d5 pawn. The knight on e4 is not loose, so White undermines its support with c2-c4 rather than attacking it directly.
That c4 push decides the character: White concedes structural damage on the queenside or an isolated d-pawn in return for freer pieces and pressure down the open e-file. Black aims for ...c5 or ...Bf5, trades a pair of pieces and heads for a level endgame. Whoever plants a rook on the e-file first sets the terms.
How Does Play Continue From Here?
| Move | Share | Games | |
|---|---|---|---|
| d5 | 78% | 167 | |
| Be7 | 11% | 24 | |
| Bg4 | 5% | 11 | |
| Nf6 | 2% | 4 |
The Named Lines Of The Classical Attack
| Line | Moves |
|---|---|
| Closed Variation | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 Nf6 |
| Marshall Variation | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Bd6 |
| Mason-Showalter Variation | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Nc6 |
| Mason Variation | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Be7 7.O-O O-O |
| Jaenisch Variation | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.O-O Be7 8.c4 |
| Chigorin Variation | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Be7 7.O-O Nc6 8.Re1 |
| Staunton Variation | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Bd6 7.O-O O-O 8.c4 c6 |
| Tarrasch Variation | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Bd6 7.O-O O-O 8.c4 Bg4 |
| Chigorin Variation, Main Line | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.O-O Be7 8.c4 Nb4 9.Be2 |
| Chigorin Variation, Browne Attack | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.O-O Be7 8.c4 Nb4 9.cxd5 |
| Marshall Variation, Chinese Gambit | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Bd6 7.O-O O-O 8.c4 c6 9.Re1 Bg4 |
| Krause Variation | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.O-O Be7 8.Re1 Bg4 9.c3 f5 10.c4 |
| Berger Variation | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Be7 7.O-O Nc6 8.Re1 Bg4 9.c3 f5 10.Nbd2 |
| Maróczy Variation | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Be7 7.O-O Nc6 8.Re1 Bg4 9.c3 f5 10.c4 Bh4 |
| Marshall Trap | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Bd6 7.O-O O-O 8.c4 Bg4 9.cxd5 f5 10.Re1 Bxh2+ |