Petrov's Defense: Classical Attack (C42)

After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 Black counterattacks e4 instead of defending e5. In the main line Black plays 3.Nxe5 d6, kicking the knight before taking on e4, and the game is very solid. The same position also produces the Stafford Gambit, 3.Nxe5 Nc6, where Black gives a pawn for open lines and a pile of tricks.

The most frequent mistake in our data is a sacrifice that does not work. After 3.Nxe5 d6 White sometimes plays 4.Nxf7, the Cochrane Gambit, and after 4...Kxf7 5.Bc4+ Ke8 6.O-O Be7 the push 7.e5? gives away a pawn and opens lines for Black's extra piece: 7...dxe5 and White has nothing for the knight. The same idea fails one move earlier.

The Stafford Gambit produces the most dramatic puzzle in the set. After 3...Nc6 4.Nxc6 dxc6 5.d3 Bc5 6.c3 h5 White pins the knight with 7.Bg5??, and Black ignores the pin: 7...Nxe4! gives up the queen for a mating attack, because 8.Bxd8 runs into ...Bxf2+ and ...Bg4 mate. Every Stafford player knows the idea, so check what the bishop on c5 and the pawn on h5 are doing before pinning.

Black falls into traps too. After 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nc4 Nxe4 5.Be2, the knight jump 5...Nxf2?? looks like a fork but only gives away a piece after 6.Kxf2. In the Cochrane line, after 5.d4 Kg8 6.Nc3 the pin 6...Bg4? allows 7.Bc4+ d5 8.Nxd5, winning a pawn with an attack.

The Stafford Gambit Trap and the Petrov Defense Trap both have their own pages; the puzzles below cover the rest of the opening.