C43

Bishop's Opening: Urusov Gambit

Key moves: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6

The Petroff Defence is one of the most solid openings for Black. Instead of defending the e5 pawn, Black counterattacks White's e4 pawn. It often leads to symmetrical positions, but the main lines contain hidden venom.

History & Notable Players

Named after Alexander Petroff. It became a premier drawing weapon at the top level, used extensively by Vladimir Kramnik and Fabiano Caruana.