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Learn Alekhine's Defense with our free interactive trainer. Master the Classical, Exchange, and Four Pawns Attack variations for Black against 1.e4, with games by Alekhine and Fischer. 11 chapters.
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3
Alekhine's Defense begins 1.e4 Nf6. Black attacks the e-pawn at once and invites White to push it, hoping White will overextend, weaken c5, or trade the e-pawn for Black's c-pawn. After 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 the main branches are the Classical 4.Nf3, the Four Pawns Attack 4.c4 Nb6 5.f4, and the Exchange Variation 4.exd6.
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. Nc3 e6 4. Nxd5 exd5 5. d4 d6 6. Nf3 Nc6 ...
One of the opening's earliest outings by its namesake. White trades knights on d5 early and keeps a solid centre. Alekhine counters with ...f6 and ...Bxd6, swaps pieces down the e-file, and the game is drawn after 24 moves.
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3 g6 5. Bc4 Nb6 6. Bb3 Bg7 ...
Fischer's win with the Alekhine in the 1972 World Championship match. In the Classical Variation with 4...g6, Black wins the a4 pawn with his knights and the game becomes a long, complex fight. Fischer's a-pawn and h-pawn decide the ending, and White resigned after 74 moves.
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3 Bg4 5. Be2 e6 6. O-O Be7 ...
The second Alekhine of the 1972 match. Fischer chooses the Classical with 4...Bg4, Spassky gives up a knight with 18.Nxd5 for activity against the black king, and after the dust settles the game is drawn on move 40.
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. exd6 cxd6 5. c4 Nb6 6. Nc3 g6 ...
Why Black is happy to play this opening. After 4.exd6 cxd6 Black has an extra central pawn and can aim for a structure where only Black owns an e-pawn, later supporting a big centre with ...f5 and ...e5. The chapter also notes the Flohr Variation 4.Nf3 Bg4 5.Be2 c6 and the Voronezh Variation 8.Rc1 as sterner tests, with model games by Ivanchuk and Nakamura.
23... Qc3 24. Qc1 Qxc1 25. Rxc1 Rd8 26. g3 Kf7 27. c5 Kf6 28. Bc4 Bc8 29. a4 ...
An ending that shows what the extra central pawn is worth. Black's pieces are centralised behind the e-pawn, and once the e- and f-pawns roll forward White's king is in danger of suffocation. White's queenside majority is no threat because the white pieces are too passive to make anything of it. Black's king marches to e5 and the breakthrough with ...f3 and ...e3 decides.
1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 d5 3. Bg2 c6 4. c4 Bg4 5. O-O e6 6. h3 Bxf3 ...
A second illustration of the central pawn structures Alekhine players aim for, this time from a Réti move order. After the queens come off White's king walks to d4, the e-pawn advances to e5, and the knight ending turns on White's queenside majority, which produces a new queen on move 51.
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. exd6 cxd6 6. Nc3 g6 ...
The Exchange Variation proper, 4.c4 Nb6 5.exd6 cxd6, with White's most testing setup 6.Nc3 g6 7.Be3 Bg7 8.Rc1 and 9.b3. Black answers with ...Bf5, ...d5 and ...Nc6, exchanges on f3 and regroups the knights to e7 and a5 for counterplay on the queenside. The model games include Nakamura's win over Narayanan.
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3 dxe5 5. Nxe5 c6 6. Be2 Bf5 ...
The Classical Variation with 4.Nf3 and the solid 4...dxe5 5.Nxe5 c6 line. Black develops the bishop to f5, challenges the e5 knight with ...Nd7, and after 8.Nf3 e6 9.c4 N5f6 10.Nc3 the active 10...Ne4 leads to a roughly equal position. The sideline 5...g6 and the common ...d5 push are also covered.
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. f4 dxe5 6. fxe5 Nc6 ...
White's most ambitious try. After 5...dxe5 6.fxe5 Nc6 7.Be3 Bf5 8.Nc3 e6 9.Nf3 Be7 10.Be2 O-O Black strikes back with 11...f6 and later ...e5, and the main line ends in a position with chances for both sides. The variations show how badly it goes for Black after careless castling, and why the author rates White somewhat better in the Robson - Naroditsky structure.
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. c4 Nb6 4. c5 Nd5 5. Nc3 e6
White's alternatives to the main lines. 2.Nc3 lets Black transpose to a Vienna with 2...e5 or play 2...d5. After 2.e5 Nd5 the Chase Variation 3.c4 Nb6 4.c5 Nd5 pushes the knight around, 3.Nc3 Nxc3 leads to French-like structures, and 3.d4 d6 4.Bc4 relies on a Qh5 double attack that Black need not fear. The odd retreat 2...Ng8 is also examined.