Anti-Petrov Openings

The Petrov is one of the least favorite openings for White “e4” players. It takes much of the sting out of e4 and often leads to drawish equality. Options for White as an anti-Petrov to avoid most of the best-known theory lines include:

• Avoid the Petrov: play a Bishop’s Opening, King’s Gambit, Danish Gambit, or a Center Game
• Danish Gambit Deferred: Early d4 with delayed recapture (i.e. Center Game with Nf3 rather than Qxd4)
• Petrov Qe2 line (Queen exchange line to a semi-ending)
• Petrov Nc4 line (uncommon but active play line)
• Anti-Petrov Gambit (Bc4 Nxe4!? Nc3!?)
• Four Knights Game (transposes to this if White plays Nc3 and then Black plays Nc6, but Black can play Bb4 with an independent line, or a Three Knights Game via Bb4/Bc5)
• Belgrade Gambit (d4 exd4 Nd5!? in the Four Knights Game)

Avoiding the Petrov

The Petrov is one of the openings most favourable to Black in the King Pawn Openings. Lines that avoid the Petrov include:

• Bishop’s Opening
• King’s Gambit
• Vienna Game
• Center Game
• Danish Gambit
• Danish Gambit Deferred (Goring Gambit Deferred)
• Ponziani Opening

Lines for White that do not avoid the Petrov include:

• Ruy Lopez
• Giuoco Piano (including the Two Knight’s Defence and Evan’s Gambit)
• Scotch Game
• Scotch Gambit
• Goring Gambit

Gambit Lines for White

Anti-Petrov Gambit: An interesting but dubious anti-Petrov gambit line allows Black to capture the “e4” pawn. The line is called the “Boden-Kieseritsky Gambit” and goes:

Diagram: Anti-Petrov Gambit Line

Another gambit line is the Belgrade Gambit, which is in the Four Knights Opening.