Alekhine Defense: Moves, Variations, Plans and Traps

The Alekhine Defense is the chess opening that starts 1.e4 Nf6. Black attacks the e4 pawn with the knight instead of placing a pawn in the center, and White usually gains time with 2.e5, kicking the knight to d5 and building a big pawn center with tempo. Black's whole idea is that those advanced pawns become targets: the knight retreats, and Black hits the center with ...d6, ...Bg4 or ...g6 and pieces. The fight is over one question: is White's center a strength or a weakness?

How to reach the Alekhine Defense

There is only one way in: 1.e4 Nf6. No other first move from White allows it, so it is a pure answer to 1.e4. The main road continues 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6, and from there White chooses how many pawns to push.

Transpositions to know:

• 2.Nc3 declines the chase. After 2...e5 the game becomes a Vienna Game, and after 2...d5 Black gets a Scandinavian- or French-style fight (see below).
• 2.e5 Nd5 3.c4 Nb6 4.d4 reaches the same positions as 3.d4 d6 4.c4, but gives Black extra options on move 3, such as 3...Nb6 4.c5 Nd5 (the Chase Variation).

Strengths and drawbacks

Strengths for Black

• White's advanced pawns on e5, d4 and often c4 and f4 become fixed targets for ...d6, ...Nc6, ...Bg4 and ...c5.
• Very few club players prepare against it, and the main lines are fewer than in the Sicilian or Ruy Lopez.
• The positions are unbalanced, so Black plays for a win rather than a draw.

Drawbacks for Black

• The knight moves three or four times in the opening while White gains space with each kick.
• If Black is slow, White's center simply cramps the whole position.
• Stockfish 17.1 gives White a steady edge of roughly +0.5 to +0.8 in the main lines, a bit more than in the most solid replies to 1.e4.
• The f7 square is weak in several lines (see the trap below).

Main variations

Modern Variation: 4.Nf3 Bg4

The most common choice. White develops instead of pushing every pawn, and Black pins the f3 knight to loosen its grip on e5 and d4.

What each move is doing:

• 4...Bg4. The bishop goes outside the pawn chain before ...e6, so it never becomes a bad bishop.
• 5.Be2 e6 6.O-O Be7. Both sides finish kingside development.
• 7.h3 Bh5 8.c4 Nb6. White asks the bishop a question, then gains space and kicks the knight again. Each kick is a free tempo, but each pawn move also loosens squares.
• 9.Nc3 O-O 10.Be3 d5. Black locks the center and will aim at c4 and d4, often with ...Nc6 and ...dxc4 or ...Bxf3 at the right moment.

Suits: solid players who want a classical structure with a clear plan. Stockfish 17.1 at depth 20 scores the final position +0.80, with 11.c5 as White's choice.

Alburt Variation: 4.Nf3 g6

Black fianchettoes the dark-squared bishop and aims it straight at d4 and e5. White's most direct answer is 5.Bc4, attacking the knight on d5.

The ...a5 reply stops a4-a5 from chasing the b6 knight again. Black follows with ...O-O, ...Nc6 or ...Na6, and ...dxe5 to open the g7 bishop's diagonal. Stockfish 17.1 at depth 20 gives +0.63 with 8.Qe2 as its first choice.

Suits: players who like King's Indian or Pirc-style fianchetto pressure.

Larsen Variation: 4.Nf3 dxe5 5.Nxe5

Black releases the tension at once. White's knight lands on e5, but Black gets a clean position with ...g6, ...c6 and ...Bg7.

This is the lowest-scoring line for White in our runs: +0.52 at depth 20 after 7...Bg7 (8.Bb3 first). The ...c6 move protects the d5 knight, so Bc4 does not win time against it. Play 5...g6 here, not 5...Nd7? (see the trap).

Suits: Black players who want a compact, low-risk structure.

Four Pawns Attack: 4.c4 Nb6 5.f4

White pushes everything: c4, d4, e5 and f4.

White grabs maximum space; Black trades on e5 and then piles on d4 and e5 with ...Nc6, ...Bf5 and ...e6. Stockfish scores the final position at +0.82 with 10.d5 as its choice, and the evaluation along the line stays between +0.56 and +0.82, no larger than in the Modern. The danger is practical: one slow move from Black and the pawns roll forward with d5 or e6 breaks.

Suits: White players who like to attack; Black players who know the ...Nc6, ...Bf5, ...e6 setup by heart.

Exchange Variation: 4.c4 Nb6 5.exd6

White trades on d6 to clear the center and keeps the c4-d4 pawn pair.

With 5...cxd6 Black recaptures toward the center and fianchettoes against d4 (Stockfish: +0.60 after 6...g6). With 5...exd6 6.Nc3 Be7 Black gets open lines for the pieces and a symmetrical-looking but livelier structure; Stockfish rates it +0.66 at depth 20, with 7.Bd3 first. Either recapture is sound; ...cxd6 is the more strategic choice.

Suits: White players who want a lasting space edge without memorizing sharp lines.

Declining the chase: 2.Nc3

White refuses to push. Stockfish ranks 2.Nc3 behind 2.e5 (the original run gave +0.25 against +0.57). The most testing Black reply is 2...d5, and after 3.e5 Nfd7 the game takes a French Defense shape.

After 2...d5 Stockfish gives +0.33 at depth 20, with 3.e5 its top choice ahead of 3.exd5 (+0.19). The final position after 6...Nc6 is +0.42 (7.Be3 first). Black attacks d4 with ...c5 and ...Nc6 exactly as in the French Steinitz.

Suits: White players who want to avoid Alekhine theory.

Plans for White

• Keep e5 supported. The e5 pawn is the spearhead. Defend it with d4, Nf3 and sometimes f4, and do not let Black trade it off cheaply on your terms.
• Gain time on the knight only when it helps. c4 kicks the d5 knight, but it also leaves d4 needing support. Play c4 when Nc3 and Be3 can follow quickly.
• Use the space. With pawns on c4, d4 and e5, White's pieces have more room. Typical placements: knights on c3 and f3, bishop on e3 (or d3 in the Exchange), rook to the c- or d-file.
• Pawn breaks. In the Modern and Four Pawns, c5 (gaining queenside space and kicking the b6 knight) and d5 (opening lines against a king on g8 or the e6 pawn) are the key breaks. Stockfish's choices of 11.c5 in the Modern and 10.d5 in the Four Pawns show both.
• Watch f7. If Black leaves the f7 square undefended early, sacrifices with Nxf7 or Bc4 plus Qh5 or Qf3 can decide the game.

Plans for Black

• Strike at the center. ...d6 is not optional; without it, e5 cramps the whole kingside. Follow up with ...dxe5 at the right moment, ...c5 against d4, or ...Nc6 piling on d4 and e5.
• Develop the c8 bishop first. ...Bg4 or ...Bf5 before ...e6 keeps the bishop active. In the Modern, ...Bxf3 at the right moment removes a key defender of d4 and e5.
• Put the knights on b6 and c6. The b6 knight eyes c4 and d5; the c6 knight hits d4 and e5. Against c4-d4 setups, ...d5 followed by ...dxc4 fixes White's center into targets.
• Fianchetto when the d4 pawn is the target. In the Alburt and Exchange lines, ...g6 and ...Bg7 aim straight at d4.
• Do not hurry the king. Castle short, but only after the center is stable and f7 is covered.

Traps to know

The f7 sacrifice after 5...Nd7?

After 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 dxe5 5.Nxe5, the natural-looking 5...Nd7? allows a sacrifice on f7.

Why it works: after 6.Nxf7! Kxf7 7.Qh5+, the king has to walk into the center. Stockfish 17.1 at depth 20 rates 7...Ke6 as the only reasonable defense (+1.12); 7...g6 is +2.05 and 7...Kf6 is +4.86. After 8.c4 the d5 knight is attacked and Black's king is stuck on e6. The evaluation before the mistake, after 5.Nxe5, is +0.48; after 5...Nd7 it jumps to +1.29.

How to avoid it: play 5...g6, developing the bishop and keeping the position compact.

Leaving the knight on f6: 2...d5?

The beginner's error is to ignore the attack on the knight.

Why it fails: after 2.e5 the f6 knight must move. 2...d5? and 2...Nc6? both lose it; Stockfish rates them +2.97 and +2.79 at depth 20. The engine's ranking of Black's choices after 2.e5 was 2...Nd5 (+0.81), 2...Ng8 (+0.86), 2...Ne4 (+1.11).

How to avoid it: always answer 2.e5 with 2...Nd5.

How to play against the Alekhine Defense

• Pick the Modern Variation (4.Nf3). It is the low-risk choice: develop quickly, castle, and keep e5 supported. You do not need to memorize the Four Pawns Attack to keep an edge.
• Play h3 against ...Bg4, and be ready to recapture on f3 with the bishop if Black takes, so your center stays protected.
• Push c4 when your pieces can follow. The tempo on the knight is worth it only if d4 stays defended.
• Punish neglect of f7. Against 4...dxe5 5.Nxe5, check for Nxf7 and Qh5+ every move until Black castles or plays ...g6 and ...e6.
• If you dislike theory, play 2.Nc3 and steer toward a Vienna Game or a French-type structure.

Engine verdict

We ran Stockfish 17.1 (lite single-threaded build) at depth 20 on each position separately. Scores are from White's side, in pawns.

Plain-terms verdict: White keeps a normal opening edge of about half a pawn to eight-tenths of a pawn in every main line. That is not a refutation. The aggressive Four Pawns Attack scores no better for White than the calm Modern, and Black's most solid route by the numbers is 4...dxe5 5.Nxe5 g6. The Alekhine's risk is practical, not objective.

rnbqkb1r/ppp1pppp/3p4/3nP3/3P4/8/PPP2PPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 4

Open in the analysis board →

This is the position after 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6, White to move, with 38 legal moves. Try 4.Nf3 and 4.c4 and compare the engine's replies.

History

The opening is named after Alexander Alekhine, world champion from 1927 to 1935 and from 1937 to 1946, who played 1...Nf6 against 1.e4 in the early 1920s. It fit the hypermodern ideas of that era: let the opponent occupy the center, then attack it with pieces. Danish grandmaster Bent Larsen and the American grandmaster Lev Alburt kept it alive at top level in later decades, and the variations above carry their names.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Alekhine Defense good?

Yes, it is fully playable. Stockfish 17.1 gives White around +0.5 to +0.8 in the main lines, which is a normal opening edge, not a refutation. Its weakness is practical: Black must know the ...d6 break and the timing of ...Bg4 or ...g6, or White's space grows.

How do you beat the Alekhine Defense?

Play the Modern Variation (4.Nf3), develop quickly, and keep the e5 pawn supported rather than pushing every pawn. Watch for Nxf7 when Black neglects f7, and use c4 to gain time on the knight only when your center stays protected.

Is the Four Pawns Attack dangerous?

It is dangerous to an unprepared player, because White's pawns can roll forward fast. Objectively, Stockfish rates it no better than the Modern for White (about +0.6 to +0.8), and Black's standard plan of ...dxe5, ...Nc6, ...Bf5 and ...e6 holds the balance.

What is the main idea of 1...Nf6?

To provoke White's pawns forward so they can be attacked. Black accepts a loss of time with the knight in exchange for targets in White's center.

Is the Alekhine Defense good for beginners?

It is playable for improving players, but beginners must know two things: answer 2.e5 with 2...Nd5, and always challenge e5 with ...d6. Players who want a simpler first defense to 1.e4 often start with the Caro-Kann or the Scandinavian.

Drill the six main lines with the trainer at the top of this page, check your own ideas on the analysis board, and test the positions against the engine with play chess. To compare other answers to 1.e4, see the Caro-Kann, the French Defense, the Pirc Defense and the Scandinavian Defense.