Alekhine Four Pawns Attack
You play White · 6 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 · 3
- Four Pawns Attack, Fianchetto VariationB031. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. f4 g65 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, 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
Other variations · 3
- 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, Trifunovic VariationB031. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. f4 Bf55 moves
What is the Alekhine Four Pawns Attack?
The Four Pawns Attack is White's most ambitious answer to Alekhine's Defense: 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.c4 Nb6 5.f4. You accept Black's invitation and chase the knight with your pawns, building a huge centre on c4, d4, e5 and f4. Black's whole strategy is to undermine that centre, so the game is sharp and double-edged: if your centre holds, Black is cramped; if it collapses, your pawns become targets. It is a principled main line, although many White players prefer the quieter Modern Variation.
Main ideas and plans
The main line is 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.c4 Nb6 5.f4 dxe5 6.fxe5 Nc6 7.Be3, and Black usually continues with ...Bf5 and ...e6, pressing d4 and e5 with pieces. Your set-up is Be3, Nc3 and Nf3, then Be2 and castling, and a key idea is the d5 push to gain space and hit the c6 knight and the e6 pawn, often with sharp tactics. In the Tartakower Variation Black plays ...Qd7 and castles long, attacking d4 with the rooks, while in the Korchnoi Variation Black plays ...Bf5 before ...Nc6 and later breaks with ...f6. The Ilyin-Zhenevsky Variation is your own gambit idea: you meet ...Bg4 with the push e6 and, after ...fxe6, play c5 to drive the knight back and seize space.
Black can also avoid the main line. In the Fianchetto Variation with ...g6 the bishop on g7 eyes your centre, so develop solidly and keep d4 and e5 well protected; the Trifunovic Variation with an early ...Bf5 and the Cambridge Gambit with ...g5 are rarer. Black's main levers are ...c5 and ...f6, the knights on b6 and c6 hit d4 and c4, and pins with ...Bg4 or ...Bb4 add pressure. Your plan is to complete development before opening the position, keep your king safe now that the f-pawn has advanced, and use your space to push d5 or attack on the kingside at the right moment.
Who is it for?
The Four Pawns Attack suits ambitious, concrete players who like space and are happy to calculate. It requires a fair amount of theory, because one slow move can let Black's piece pressure break your centre. Over-extension is the main risk: your king is slightly exposed after f4, and loose pawns can be lost in the endgame if the centre is liquidated on Black's terms. Learn first the main line with Be3 and Nf3, the timing of the d5 push, and a solid plan against the Fianchetto Variation.