Alekhine's Defense
1.e4 Nf6
Provocative — lure White's pawns forward then attack them.
Famous practitioners: Alexander Alekhine, Lev Alburt
Starting position
0 / 2 moves
Key Ideas
- ♟Black invites White to advance pawns and then targets them
- ♟Hypermodern philosophy — control the center from a distance
- ♟Requires precise play from Black to avoid being overwhelmed
♔ Plans for White
- —Chase the knight: e5, d4, c4 building a pawn center
- —Four Pawns Attack for maximum aggression
- —Exchange Variation for a calm game
♚ Plans for Black
- —Allow the pawn center, then undermine with …d6, …c5, …Nc6
- —Target the overextended pawns
- —Develop pieces to attack the center from the flanks
⚠️ Common Traps & Pitfalls
Four Pawns Overextension
White builds a massive 4-pawn center, but it can become overextended — Black chips away at the base and the whole structure collapses.
📍 Critical Positions
Alekhine's Defense
The knight on f6 provokes 2.e5. Black will retreat and counterattack the center later.
rnbqkb1r/pppppppp/5n2/8/4P3/8/PPPP1PPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 1 2Are you leaking games in the Alekhine's Defense?
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Related Openings
Sicilian Defense (Open)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4
The most popular and sharpest response to 1.e4 — asymmetric and combative.
Sicilian Najdorf
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6
The sharpest Sicilian — Fischer and Kasparov's weapon of choice.
Sicilian Dragon
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6
The fianchetto Sicilian — Black's dark-squared bishop breathes fire.
French Defense
1.e4 e6
Solid and strategic — the French wall holds and counterattacks.