Petroff Defense According to Cheparinov GM Ivan Cheparinov April 26, 2025

Play the Petroff Defence

More good news for 1.e4 e5 aficionados! After his groundbreaking, Play the Marshall – Top-Level Repertoire for Black, GM Ivan Cheparinov provides another, no less principled solution to 1.e4 by sharing his analysis of the notoriously solid Petroff Defence 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6. Make no mistake – the Petroff is a solid and theoretically sound opening. However, the author manages time and again to spice things up by going for fresh, uncompromising lines whenever possible!

What’s Inside?

• 23 theoretical lessons
• 20 interactive test positions
• A Memory Booster
• 6 hours 40 mins video lessons

Course Overview

The course deals with White’s two most principled moves on move three – 3.d4 (Lessons 1- 5) and 3.Nxe5 (Lessons 6 – 23). Already in the first Lesson, we get a taste that things can heat up quite quickly in our weapon of choice:

This is the position after 3.d4 Nxe4 4.dxe5 Bc5!? 5.Bc4! Nxf2 6.Bxf7+!. Not what you expect in the Petroff, is it? After 6…Kxf7 7.Qd5+ Kg6 8.Qxc5 Nxh1 a very complex, dynamically balanced position arises.

After a detailed study of all the sidelines in Lessons 1 and 2, we move to the theoretical main line of the 3.d4-complex: 3…Nxe4 4.Bd3 d5 5.Nxe5 Nd7. In one of the critical continuations, 6.Nxd7 Bxd7 7.0-0 Bd6 8.c4, Cheparinov goes for the topical 8…0-0! (8…c6 being the old main line). Instead of fighting for a draw in an analysed-to-death position, Black manages to unbalance the game, with an interesting fight ahead. For example, 9.cxd5 f5 10.Nc3 Qf6! 11.Ne2 g5!.

Black has ample compensation for the sacrificed pawn, with good attacking chances on the kingside.

Starting with Lesson 6, we move to 3.Nxe5. Before delving into the more serious stuff, we examine various lesser options. One of them being the infamous Cochrane Gambit 3…d6 4.Nxf7?. Though not correct objectively, White scores about 50% in practical games with this piece sacrifice! With the analysis presented in this repertoire, you will be fully ready to punish White for his recklessness. One example: 4…Kxf7 5.d4 c5! 6.Nc3 Bg4 7.Bc4+…

…is met with 7…d5! 8.Bxd5+ Qxd5, forcing favourable exchanges, leading to a significant advantage for Black.

Lessons 8 – 11 are dedicated to White’s rarer options on move five. Beginning with Lesson 12, we move to the second most popular line after 3…d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 – the move 5.Nc3. Surprisingly, this natural move has only become widely popular in the new millennium, when players with the White pieces, frustrated by their futile attempts to get an advantage in the main lines after 5.d4, began to explore the (in those days) less theoretical 5.Nc3. The attraction of this line lies in the fact that even if White cannot achieve a theoretical advantage, the typically arising positions with castling on opposite wings lead to an open fight with winning chances. However, this cuts both ways! For example, 5…Nxc3 6.dxc3 Be7 7.Be3 0-0. Black could also choose to play for castling queenside, but 7…0-0 is the most principled continuation, leading to mutual chances. 8.Qd2 Nd7 9.0-0-0 Nf6 10.Bd3 Re8 11.Rhe1 Bg4 12.Bg5 Qd7 13.h3 Bxf3 14.gxf3 d5!.

Black is ready to continue with …Qd6, …Bf8, …c5, etc, with fully-fledged counter chances.

In Lesson 16, we finally arrive at the absolute main line of the Petroff Defence – 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3. Here, our choice falls on 6…Bd6 – Black’s most active and theoretically challenging continuation. This can lead to a plethora of different types of positions! Cheparinov presents a remarkable theoretical survey, arming players with the black pieces with everything there is to know in this fascinating line. For illustration purposes, we offer one example: 7.0-0 0-0 8.c4 c6 9.Re1 Bf5 10.Qc2 Na6! 11.a3 Bg6! 12.c5 Bb8!.

Black will eventually restore his piece coordination, while he can support his strong knight on

Why Study This Course?
“Play the Petroff Defence” perfectly fits the demands of players who look for a theoretically sound and dependable overall solution to 1.e4.  In general, Black’s strategy is based on solid positional foundations, but as we have already seen in this brief introduction, things can quickly get very sharp! By following the philosophy of going for the most principled lines, not shying away from major complications, GM Cheparinov presents an excellent theoretical survey. But not only that: due to this very philosophy, many of the lines given also make great textbook examples of how to play in open positions!