Alekhine Defense
Initial Moves: 1.e4 Nf6
Strategic Summary & Main Idea
The Alekhine Defence offers the knight as a target on the first move: 1...Nf6 invites White's pawn forward, on the theory that every advanced pawn becomes a target later. The measurement agrees with both sides. The position after 1...Nf6 is +0.73, and the line in which White advances most, the Four Pawns Attack, reaches +0.94. But the Modern Variation with ...Bg4 measures +1.09, the highest in the entry, and the attempts to chase the knight without a plan yield the least: the Chase Variation, with c4 and c5, measures +0.14.
The pawn structure this opening produces
The Alekhine produces the most unbalanced structure of all defences to 1.e4. After 2.e5 Nd5, White has a pawn on e5 that takes f6 from the knight and gains space, and Black has no central pawn at all. Black's plan is to undermine that pawn with ...d6, and how White handles that break is what separates the variations. If White keeps the pawn with Nf3, the structure stays compact and Black needs ...dxe5 or pressure with ...Bg4 on the knight defending it. If White pushes c4 and f4, in the Four Pawns Attack, the centre becomes huge and also fragile: every pawn that advanced left a square behind, and a ...c5 or ...f6 break against it can demolish everything. If White exchanges on d6, the structure simplifies: with ...cxd6 Black keeps a central majority and the c-file; with ...exd6 the structure is symmetrical and the game calm. What Black cannot accept is a knight with no square: with no central pawn, a piece chased twice has nowhere to stop.
Typical Plans for White
- Keep the e5 pawn with Nf3 and Be2, castle, and push c4 only when the d5 knight has to retreat to b6
- In the Four Pawns Attack, support e5, d4, c4 and f4 with Be3, Nc3 and Nf3 before Black breaks
- Against 4...dxe5 5.Nxe5 Nd7?, sacrifice on f7: the line measures +1.34
- In the d6 exchange, develop with Nc3 and Be3 and fight for d5, whichever way Black recaptures
- Do not chase the knight with c4 and c5 without development: the Chase Variation measures +0.14
Typical Plans for Black
- Undermine the e5 pawn with ...d6 on move three, before White supports it with f4
- In the Modern Variation, pin with ...Bg4 and exchange the knight that defends e5
- Against the Four Pawns, take on e5 and develop with ...Nc6 and ...Bf5, attacking the centre from the side
- After 4...dxe5 5.Nxe5, play 5...c6 and keep f7 covered: 5...Nd7 allows the sacrifice
- Never leave the knight without a retreat: 2...Ne4 and ...Ne4 again lose the piece
Main Variations of the Alekhine Defense
| Variation | Move Sequence | Evaluation | Style / Characteristic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modern Variation with ...Bg4 | 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 Bg4 5.Be2 e6 6.O-O Be7 7.h3 Bh5 8.c4 Nb6 |
+1.09 | The main line and the highest evaluation: Black's bishop ends up far from the queenside |
| Alburt Variation (4...g6) | 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 g6 5.Bc4 Nb6 6.Bb3 Bg7 |
+0.54 | Fianchetto against the centre; the g7 bishop aims at e5 |
| Kengis Variation (4...dxe5 5.Nxe5 c6) | 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 dxe5 5.Nxe5 c6 |
+0.62 | Takes the pawn and covers d5 with ...c6 before developing |
| Four Pawns Attack | 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 |
+0.94 | White's maximum centre; strong if it holds, fragile if Black breaks |
| Exchange with ...cxd6 | 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.c4 Nb6 5.exd6 cxd6 6.Nc3 g6 7.Be3 Bg7 |
+0.51 | Black central majority and the c-file; the most balanced exchange line |
| Exchange with ...exd6 | 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.c4 Nb6 5.exd6 exd6 6.Nc3 Be7 |
+0.61 | Symmetrical structure and a calm game, with a slight White space edge |
| Scandinavian Variation (2.Nc3 d5) | 1.e4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.exd5 Nxd5 |
+0.22 | White declines the invitation to advance, and the edge drops to a fifth of a pawn |
| Chase Variation (3.c4 Nb6 4.c5) | 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.c4 Nb6 4.c5 Nd5 |
+0.14 | Chasing the knight without development; the lowest evaluation in the entry |
| Brooklyn Variation (2...Ng8) | 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Ng8 |
+0.98 | The knight goes home: two lost tempi that cost almost a pawn |
Evaluations measured by us with Stockfish 19, depth 22, on 15/09/2026.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Four Pawns Attack refute the Alekhine?
No. It measures +0.94 after 5.f4 dxe5 6.fxe5 Nc6 7.Be3 Bf5 8.Nc3 e6 9.Nf3, above the entry's average but below the Modern Variation with ...Bg4 (+1.09), which is a quiet line. The four-pawn centre is strong while it holds and becomes a target when Black breaks with ...c5 or ...f6.
What is Black's safest line against 4.Nf3?
By the measurement, the fianchetto with 4...g6 (+0.54) and the Kengis Variation with 4...dxe5 5.Nxe5 c6 (+0.62). Both sit half a pawn below the ...Bg4 pin, which is the most played line and the highest White evaluation in this entry.
Why does chasing the knight with c4 and c5 not work?
Because every pawn move is one developing move fewer. After 2.e5 Nd5 3.c4 Nb6 4.c5 Nd5, the position is +0.14: the knight has found a stable square on d5, and the c5 pawn is as exposed as the knight. It is the lowest evaluation in the entry.
Common Mistakes & Where Most Amateurs Go Wrong
- 01 Playing 2...Ne4 and, after 3.d3 Nc5 4.d4, returning with 4...Ne4?. The knight has no retreat left: 5.f3 traps the piece in the middle of the board, and the position goes to +6.55. The line:
1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Ne4 3.d3 Nc5 4.d4 Ne4+6.55 - 02 Developing with 5...Nd7? after 4.Nf3 dxe5 5.Nxe5. The knight removes the defence of f7, and 6.Nxf7 Kxf7 7.Qh5+ Ke6 8.c4 leaves the Black king in the middle of the board: +1.34, against +0.62 for the correct 5...c6. The line:
1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 dxe5 5.Nxe5 Nd7 6.Nxf7 Kxf7 7.Qh5+ Ke6 8.c4+1.34
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