I've had the impression (e.g. from an article in NIC) that 4...Nxe4 is a serious try and that perhaps White has nothing better than to transpose to a ...d5 main line by giving back the piece.  (Incidentally I think the first time I saw anything about 4...Nxe4 was in Informator in the '90s.)

kylemeister wrote on 11/20/13 at 19:33:00:



Well, I obviously dont know everything you do, Kylemeister. 

I was just trying to help a fellow member get going 

Ben

Not to worry!
He gives: 4.g3-Bc5 5.Bg2-d6 6.d3-a6!, and so on. I checked a little bit, and it seems to hold up pretty well. 

By the way; all the markings I have given in my posts are  Choen`s. 

Good luck with you corr game It seems you have equalized already...

Ben

I like FM Cohen's view on Petroff in his new book: a combination of some sort of Sicilian and the Petroff is the most lethal and dangerous combination.   

Gelfand is a role model for this repertoire. 

Having said that I think the Berlin Ruy is a good alternative as well - less forcing than Petroff so probably easier to maintain long term which is why Kramnik seems to have preferred Berlin lately. There are a number of players who combine both Najdorf and Berlin e.g. Topalov. 

Pingudon wrote on 09/08/13 at 20:23:06:

It´s available, see e.g. schachversand.de.

It feels somewhat odd to me because Black ends up playing an main line with a lot of nuances of an opening which is normally reached after 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6. And this is a book about the Petrov, isn´t it?

After 1 e4 e5 2 Bc4 Nf6 3 d3 both 3...c6 intending d5 and 3...Bc5 postponing the development of the queen´s knight are decent independent options. The latter is especially interesting if White continues with f2-f4, since then Black has the good idea to strike back in the centre with ...c6 & ...d5.

That´s also a more interesting choice against the Vienna after 1 e4 e5 2 Nc3 Nf6 3 Bc4 Bc5 instead of 3...Nxe4, when White has the dull option 4 Qh5 Nd6 5 Qxh5+ Qe7 6 Qxe7+. Not that Black has a reason to complain here.

Benoniac wrote on 11/08/13 at 10:30:41:


While theoretically perfectly sensible this is slightly odd for a repertoire based around the Petrov and certainly a lot of those playing 2.Bc4 will be happy with this. I certainly will

I´m also not in favour with some of his other choices since White can force Black to play very dull or very sharp lines sometimes.

Of course that may be the nature of the Petrov as well.

But I´m still interested in the book as long as the coverage of the main subject is decent.

Benoniac wrote on 11/07/13 at 22:25:03:


Thank you very much for the summary. I just checked these lines in a database and they all seems reasonable. What makes me wonder is what happens after:

1. e4 e5
2. Bc4 Nf6
3. d3 Nc6
and now not 4. Nc3 but 4. Nf3



Checking the database black has played 4...Bc5 or 4...Be7 here in the vast majority of games. The first brings us back to Giuoco Pianissimo, the latter to the two knight's defence. Is 4. Nf3 adressed in the book. I would guess so because it brings us back to what is a major line in theory, isn't it?!