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Alekhine's Defense B02–B05

Provoke and undermine the White centre

Final position of the Alekhine's Defense main line

Four Pawns Attack

Black boldly develops the knight to f6 on move one, inviting White to chase it with pawns. A provocative hypermodern defense that tempts White into over-extending and then strikes back.

Alekhine's Defense is a provocative, hypermodern defence where Black invites White to chase the knight with pawns. It tempts White into over-extending and then strikes back. A great weapon for players who enjoy strategic counterattacks and watching opponents overreach.

Key strategic ideas

  • 1...Nf6 invites White to chase the knight with e5, gaining space but stretching the pawns thin.
  • Black's plan is to provoke White into pushing pawns, then strike back when the pawn chain becomes overstretched.
  • After White pushes e5, Black retreats the knight and waits for the right moment to break with ...d6 or ...c5.

Common mistakes & traps

  • The Four Pawns Attack (4.c4 Nb6 5.f4 d6 6.e5) looks scary for Black, but 6...Nf5 7.Be3 dxe5 8.fxe5 c5! gives Black excellent counterplay. White's centre starts to fall apart.
  • After 2.e5 Nd5 3.c4 Nb6 4.d4 d6 5.exd6 exd6, the position is equal. Black's ...d5 break fixes the knight on b6 and challenges White's centre.

Pawn structure notes

White's stretched pawns (e5, d4, c4) against Black's solid d6 and e6. Black wants to prove that White's centre is a target. After Black plays ...d5, the pawn structure simplifies.

Name origin

Named after Alexander Alekhine, the fourth World Chess Champion, who first used it in his 1921 game against Endre Steiner in Budapest. Alekhine employed it in several important games throughout his career.

Famous practitioners & games

Alexander Alekhine, Lev Alburt, Vladimir Bagirov, Michael Adams

Alexander Alekhine vs Endre Steiner
Budapest · 1921 · 1-0

The debut of Alekhine's Defense at master level - Alekhine won a brilliant attacking game that defined the opening.
Bobby Fischer vs Svetozar Gligorić
Siegen Olympiad · 1962 · 1-0

Fischer handled the Four Pawns Attack against Alekhine's Defense with characteristic precision.

Lines

Four Pawns Attack advanced
1. e4 Nf6
2. e5 Nd5
3. d4 d6
4. c4 Nb6
5. f4
White builds a massive four-pawn centre with e5, d4, c4, and f4. An aggressive attempt to crush Black, but the centre can become a target if Black plays accurately.
Practice
Exchange Variation intermediate
1. e4 Nf6
2. e5 Nd5
3. d4 d6
4. c4 Nb6
5. exd6 cxd6
6. Nc3
White releases the central tension by exchanging on d6. A more positional approach that avoids the theory-heavy Four Pawns Attack.
Practice
Modern Variation (5…Nd7) intermediate
1. e4 Nf6
2. e5 Nd5
3. d4 d6
4. Nf3 dxe5
5. Nxe5 Nd7
Black challenges the knight on e5 instead of retreating the knight to b6. The most modern and principled approach, leading to rich middlegame positions with active piece play.
Practice
Chase Variation (4.c5) intermediate
1. e4 Nf6
2. e5 Nd5
3. c4 Nb6
4. c5 Nd5
5. Nc3 e6
6. Nxd5 exd5
7. d4 d6
White chases the knight back with c4-c5, gaining even more space. The knight is forced to d5 where White exchanges it off, reaching a simplified structure with a large space advantage.
Practice
Voronezh Variation advanced
1. e4 Nf6
2. e5 Nd5
3. c4 Nb6
4. d4 d6
5. exd6 cxd6
6. Nc3 g6
7. Be3 Bg7
8. Rc1 O-O
9. b3 Nc6
10. Nge2 Bg4
11. f3 Be6
White develops actively with Be3 and prevents Black from gaining counterplay. A modern, flexible approach that maintains pressure without overextending.
Practice