Petroff defense!

I play it occasionally.  It's my secondary line of defense behind the French.  Like any other "sound" opening, it's perfectly fine if you understand it, and useless if you don't.  I emphasize, UNDERSTAND, NOT MEMORIZE!

I always compare it to the Grunfeld.  From my own perspective, I can mimic 13 moves of the Seville variation of the Grunfeld, but it doesn't mean I understand it, whereas openings like the QGD, Nimzo, KID, Slav, Semi-Slav, etc, I actually understand those, and so it wouldn't be smart on my part to play the Grunfeld, and I don't play it.

So like any other normal opening, if you understand the Petroff, go with it.  If all you've done is memorize the main lines, forget it!  You'll be lost in no time!

okay, thanks!

The petroff has a reputation of being drawish. If you seek a win as black go for a Sicilan or a KID.

I was trying the sicilian defense, but the reason I don't like it is because it is hard to defend when white starts attacking on the kingside with simple moves like Pawn to f4, Rae1 and then forcing through either e4-e5 or f4-f5.  It gets scary.

you are egotistical and mediocre at chess. get a life

This is about as false as an old wive's tale or fish tales.  People just assume it's drawish because it starts off symmetrical and GMs draw a lot with it.  Well, guess what!  GMs draw in the Sicilian a lot too (See the World Championship from last month!).

The Petroff is actually a more aggressive defense by Black than the Closed Ruy Lopez.  Sure, it's not the Najdorf or Dragon, but I have played it many times as Black at the 2000 to 2200 level, and rarely has it been a draw, and so unless you are something like a GM, calling it drawish is a bunch of baloney!

It's kinda dishonest of me to say it's a draw because of the points you put forward. I'm not good enough to claim that the Petroff is a drawish opening. But I've done some investigating into the Petroff and I hear the word "drawish" more than normal. I suppose it indeed is because of its symmetry and simple positions that arise (sic). Isn't 5.Qe2 avoided by theorists because its a drawish move? That's on move 5.

The reason it's "drawish" (mind the quotes) is because the positions in the Petroff are simple. That doesn't mean they're easy to play but they are regarded as simple positions. In the Sicilian where you get scary positions, that's because they are positions that are very imbalanced and sharp. The Petroff has been studied to a fault.

One obvious con is that white can avoid the petroff by playing Bc4.

Yeah, this is something that I am also struggling with. My main point is: what's the big plan of black in sicilian when both sides have castled short and there is NO c4?

1) to play on kingside, queenside or centre?

2) pawn storm or piece play?

White will most probably play f4 and then bring a kingside attack with his pieces. 

Also, I started watching Ftacnik's Sicilian Scheveningen defense fritz trainer DVD, and the positions he talks about just look absolutely insane to me.

It looks like black has to play amazingly well and calculate a lot to be able to survive. In most of the games he shows white wins, and when white doesn't win it is because Garry Kasparov is black.

That is why I am thinking the Petroff defense is more my speed...

These lines in the Sicilian are theoretical. Many people make it theirs by remembering all these lines.

I believe this is the best variation of the Petroff defense and i have used it many times to a very nice win. there is no way black can save the Knight.

Why not play 5.Nc3? Why do you prefer 5.Qe2?

5...Qe7 ahhhhh.....

Yeah Qe7 saves the knight easy. And then it seems likely queens will be traded and looks drawish (queens off board and neither side has active pieces). 

I don't know much of the theory here, but this line has given me exciting games with tactical opportunities for both sides. 

Hi. I just have a few variations of PDRG Classical, French, Modern, Milennium, Nimzowistch, Three Knights, Four Knights and Lasker. Also share with you all my variation of e4e5, Nf3Nf6, Nxe5Qe7, d4Nc6, Nc3Nxe5, dxe5Qxe5, Bd3Bc5, o-o o-o. Bye.