Petrov Trap
Black copies you and takes a pawn with the knight. Your queen lines up with the king, and Black loses the queen or a pawn.
25%of players rated around 800 copy you and take the pawn here
Your opponent's Chess.com rating
Playing Black against it? Defend against it
Good to know
- Opening
- Petrov Defence
- You play
- White
- The trap is set on
- Move 3
- What you win
- The queen, or a pawn
- If they do not bite
- A level game, nothing lost
- Games counted
- 32 million on Lichess
How to defend against the Petrov Trap
Chase the knight with your d pawn. 18% of players rated around 800 find it. The knight has to go back before you take the pawn on e4.
A level game.
The way out, move by move, as BlackPetrov Trap moves
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 Nxe4 4.Qe2 Nf6 5.Nc6+ Qe7 6.Nxe7
- 1.e4Push your king's pawn
The usual first move.
- 1…e5Black pushes the king's pawn too
Black meets you in the centre.
- 2.Nf3Bring your knight out
The knight attacks Black's pawn on e5.
- 2…Nf6Black attacks your pawn instead
This is the Petrov Defence. Black does not defend, and attacks your pawn on e4.
- 3.Nxe5Take the pawn with your knight
You are a pawn up. You want Black to copy you and take your pawn.
- 3…Nxe4The knight takes your pawn
25% of players rated around 800 copy you. The knight now stands in front of the king.
- 4.Qe2Slide your queen to e2
The queen attacks the knight. If the knight moves, the king behind it is in trouble.
- 4…Nf6The knight runs away
9% of them save the knight. It costs the queen.
- 5.Nc6+Jump your knight to c6
Your queen gives check down the open line, and your knight attacks the black queen.
- 5…Qe7The queen blocks the check
There is nothing better. Take her.
- 6.Nxe7Take the queen with your knight
You win the queen for a knight.
You win the queen.
See it one move at a timePetrov Trap questions
What if they do not fall for the Petrov Trap?
75% of players rated around 800 play something else. Then a level game, nothing lost.
How do you defend against the Petrov Trap?
As Black, chase the knight with your d pawn. 18% of players rated around 800 find it. The knight has to go back before you take the pawn on e4. A level game.
What do you win with the Petrov Trap?
The queen, or a pawn. In the main line, you win the queen.
At what rating does the Petrov Trap work?
It works best against players under 400, where 56% copy you and take the pawn. Against players around 1700, 7% do.
More traps
All opening trapsCounted from the rated blitz, rapid and classical games on Lichess that reached this position. Ratings are shown as Chess.com ratings: the games are grouped by Lichess rating, which runs higher, and each group is named by the Chess.com rating it comes to in ChessGoals' comparison of players with an account on both. A rating with fewer than 300 such games shows no number.