Alekhine Defense
You play Black · 27 variations
Mixed practice
The machine picks a different variation every time.
Take a quiz
10 positions: find the next theory move in each. No take-backs, no hints.
Main variations · 16
- Modern Variation, Keres VariationB041. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3 g6 5. Bc4 Nb6 6. Bb3 Bg7 7. a47 moves
- Modern Variation, Alekhine GambitB031. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. Nf3 Bg4 6. Be26 moves
- Modern Variation, Vitolins AttackB051. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3 Bg4 5. c4 Nb6 6. d56 moves
- Modern Variation, Flohr VariationB051. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3 Bg4 5. Be2 c65 moves
- Modern Variation, Panov VariationB051. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3 Bg4 5. h35 moves
- Exchange Variation, Karpov VariationB031. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. exd6 cxd6 6. Nc3 g6 7. h3 Bg7 8. Nf3 O-O 9. Be2 Nc6 10. O-O Bf5 11. Bf411 moves
- Exchange Variation, Voronezh VariationB031. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. exd6 cxd6 6. Nc3 g6 7. Be3 Bg7 8. Rc1 O-O 9. b39 moves
- Four Pawns Attack, Tartakower VariationB031. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. f4 dxe5 6. fxe5 Nc6 7. Be3 Bf5 8. Nc3 e6 9. Nf3 Qd7 10. Be2 O-O-O 11. O-O Be711 moves
- Four Pawns Attack, Korchnoi VariationB031. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. f4 dxe5 6. fxe5 Bf5 7. Nc3 e6 8. Nf3 Be7 9. Be2 O-O 10. O-O f610 moves
- Four Pawns Attack, Ilyin-Zhenevsky VariationB031. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. f4 dxe5 6. fxe5 Nc6 7. Nf3 Bg4 8. e6 fxe6 9. c59 moves
- Four Pawns Attack, Cambridge GambitB031. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. f4 g55 moves
- Four Pawns Attack, Fianchetto VariationB031. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. f4 g65 moves
- Four Pawns Attack, Trifunovic VariationB031. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. f4 Bf55 moves
- Hunt VariationB031. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. c55 moves
- Hunt Variation, Mikenas GambitB021. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. c4 Nb6 4. c5 Nd5 5. Bc4 e6 6. Nc3 d6 7. Nxd5 exd5 8. Bxd58 moves
- Hunt Variation, Matsukevich GambitB021. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. c4 Nb6 4. c5 Nd5 5. Nc3 Nxc3 6. dxc3 d6 7. Bg57 moves
Other variations · 11
- Mokele Mbembe, Modern LineB021. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Ne4 3. d4 f63 moves
- Mokele Mbembe, Vavra DefenseB021. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Ne4 3. d4 e63 moves
- Balogh VariationB031. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Bc44 moves
- Buckley AttackB021. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. Na33 moves
- Kmoch VariationB021. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. Bc4 Nb6 4. Bb3 c5 5. d35 moves
- Krejcik Variation, Krejcik GambitB021. e4 Nf6 2. Bc4 Nxe4 3. Bxf7+3 moves
- O'Sullivan GambitB031. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 b53 moves
- Sämisch AttackB021. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. Nc33 moves
- Steiner VariationB021. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. c4 Nb6 4. b34 moves
- The SquirrelB021. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. c4 Nf43 moves
- Welling VariationB021. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. b33 moves
What is the Alekhine Defense?
The Alekhine Defense starts 1.e4 Nf6. Black attacks e4 at once and invites White to chase the knight with pawns: after 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 White has a big centre, and Black's aim is to prove that it is overextended. It is a hypermodern, provocative defence named after World Champion Alexander Alekhine, less common than the main replies to 1.e4 but fully sound and a good surprise weapon.
Main ideas and plans
Your strategy is to undermine White's pawns with ...d6, ...c5, ...e6 or ...g6 and to pressure them with pieces, especially ...Nc6, ...Bg4 and the knight on b6. In the Modern Variation, 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3, White settles for a modest centre; you can pin the knight with ...Bg4 to weaken White's control of d4 and e5, or fianchetto with ...g6 and ...Bg7 to hit e5 from the long diagonal. In the Exchange Variation, 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.c4 Nb6 5.exd6, you choose between recapturing with the c-pawn for an unbalanced structure and recapturing with the e-pawn for quick, symmetrical development.
The most ambitious test is the Four Pawns Attack, 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.c4 Nb6 5.f4, where White grabs as much space as possible. The main line continues 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.c4 Nb6 5.f4 dxe5 6.fxe5 Nc6 7.Be3 Bf5 8.Nc3 e6 9.Nf3, and you must strike at the centre quickly, typically with ...Be7, ...O-O and ...f6, or with ...Qd7 and long castling, before White's pawns suffocate you. White can also avoid the main lines with quieter moves such as an early Nc3, which usually lets you equalise more comfortably.
Who is it for?
The Alekhine suits provocative, counterattacking players who are comfortable defending against a space advantage and enjoy hitting a centre rather than occupying it. It works well as a surprise weapon because many 1.e4 players know little theory against it. The risk is clear: if you react too slowly, White's extra space turns into a lasting bind. Learn first the role of the knight on b6 and the timing of ...dxe5 and ...c5 against the Four Pawns Attack, and have a plan ready against the solid Modern Variation, which is White's most common choice.