The Modern Petroff – Part 2: Meeting 3.d4 on Black's Terms
With 3.d4, the Steinitz Variation, White opens the centre at once. The promise behind the move is easy to understand. The position opens before Black has finished development, and White hopes the open lines will favour the side that moves first.
The Modern Petroff: A Complete Repertoire for Black – Part 2, by GM Michael Roiz and GM Petar Arnaudov, turns that promise around. After 3...Nxe4, Black's pieces come out quickly. In many lines Black is ready to give up a pawn in return for activity and pressure on White's centre.
Activity Over Material
The willingness to invest a pawn runs through the whole course. After 4.Bd3 d5 5.Nxe5 Nd7 6.Qe2, Black gives up a pawn for rapid development and long castling. Against 6.Nc3 Bb4, it is White who will sacrifice, and the compensation is enough for equality, but not more.
In the main line, 6.Nxd7 Bxd7 7.O-O Bd6 8.c4 O-O 9.cxd5 Re8, Black relies on active pieces and the control of the e-file. Against 7.Nc3, the energetic 7...Qh4! solves Black's problems at once.
Caruana's Idea Against 4.dxe5
The authors give special attention to 4.dxe5 d5 5.Nbd2. Here Black plays 5...Qd7, an original idea introduced by Fabiano Caruana in 2018. It allows Black to accept the exchange on e4 on the best possible terms. Two chapters cover this branch, including White's most popular reply, 6.Bd3, and the full range of alternatives.
This course completes the repertoire begun in The Modern Petroff: A Complete Repertoire for Black – Part 1, which covers 3.Nxe5. Together the two parts give Black a complete, consistent answer to 2.Nf3.
Variation Map
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.d4 Nxe4 4.Bd3 d5 5.Nxe5 Nd7
6.Nxd7 Bxd7
- 7.O-O Bd6
- 8.c4 O-O 9.cxd5 Re8 (main line) → Chapter 10
- 8.Qh5 O-O 9.Qxd5 Bc6 → Chapter 9
- 8.Nc3 Nxc3 9.bxc3 O-O 10.Qh5 f5 → Chapter 5
- 7.Nc3 Qh4! → Chapter 7
- 7.Nd2 Nxd2 8.Bxd2 Qe7+ → Chapter 6
White's 6th-move alternatives
- 6.O-O Nxe5 7.dxe5 Nc5 → Chapter 8
- 6.Nc3 Bb4 7.O-O Nxe5 8.dxe5 Nxc3 9.bxc3 Bxc3 → Chapter 4
- 6.Qe2 Nxe5 7.Bxe4 dxe4 8.Qxe4 Be6 9.Qxe5 Qd7, and other 6th moves → Chapter 2
4.Bd3 d5 5.dxe5 Nc5 → Chapter 3
4.dxe5 d5
- 5.Nbd2 Qd7
- 6.Bd3 Nc5 7.Be2 Ne6 8.O-O → Chapter 13
- 6.Be2, and 6.Nxe4, 6.Nd4, 6.Nb3, 6.c3 → Chapter 12
- 5.Be3, and 5.Be2, 5.Nc3, 5.exd6 → Chapter 11
4.Nxe5 d6 5.Nd3 d5 6.Nf4 Nc6 → Chapter 1
What's Inside
- 13 Chapters
- 20 test positions
- Memory Booster
- To Go Version of every chapter
- Video instruction
- Multilingual PGN availability (English, German, French, Spanish)
Complete the Petroff
The Steinitz Variation looks like White's most direct way to fight for an opening edge. This course shows that Black's quick development and readiness to trade material for activity leave White with little to show for the open centre. Add The Modern Petroff – Part 2 to your repertoire, pair it with Part 1, and have a complete answer to 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3.
INTRODUCTION BY GM MICHAEL ROIZ
SAMPLE CHAPTER
SAMPLE VIDEO