Alekhine Defense

ECO B02-B05intermediate

The Alekhine, 1.e4 Nf6, is chess's boldest provocation: Black attacks e4 with a knight and dares White to chase it across the board with 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.c4 Nb6. White builds an enormous pawn center — and that center becomes the target. Black undermines it with ...d6xe5, ...Bg4 and ...c5 strikes, betting that the advanced pawns will prove overextended. The Four Pawns Attack tests that bet most directly; the restrained Modern Variation (4.Nf3) is White's solid choice.

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Main line

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Diagram shows the position after 6 half-moves of the main line. On SpeakChess you can drill this line move by move — the trainer plays the other side and corrects you instantly, then spaced repetition schedules each variation so you review it right before you would forget it.

Move by move

The first 12 moves of the main line, explained one at a time. Every move of every variation is annotated like this inside the trainer — this page shows the opening moves so you can judge the explanations before signing up.

Right out of the gate, the pawn steps up to e4, a bright light square in the middle. This bold first move grabs space in the center and opens paths for your queen on d1 and your bishop on f1 to join the game later.
Black moves their knight from g8 to f6. This is a great developing move, bringing a piece into the game and closer to the middle.
You moved your pawn from e4 to e5. Great move! This helps you control more of the middle of the board.
Black moves their knight from f6 to d5. This is a great move because the knight now stands on a strong square in the middle of the board.
You move your pawn from d2 to d4. This is a great move because it helps you control the important middle squares of the board.
Black moves a pawn from its starting spot forward one square. This opens a path for other pieces to join the game.
White moves their knight from g1 to f3. This is a good developing move, which means you are bringing a piece into the game.
Black moves their bishop from its starting spot. It goes to a new square to get into the game. This is smart because it develops your piece and helps you get ready to play!
White moves their bishop from f1 to e2. This is a good developing move, getting a piece out and ready for action!
Black moves a pawn from e7 to e6. This opens a path for their bishop and queen to join the game.
White moves their king from e1 to g1. This is called castling. It's a great move because it keeps the king safe and brings the rook into the game!
Black moves their bishop from f8 to e7. This is a good developing move, getting a piece into the game from its starting spot.

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Win rates by rating

Results from real online games, measured after the line shown in each row. Most opening sites show one aggregate number — how an opening scores depends heavily on who is playing it.

Rating	Games	White wins	Draws	Black wins	Position after
400-600	98	45.9%	6.1%	48%	1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5
600-800	42	45.2%	4.8%	50%	1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 Bg4
800-1000	136	58.1%	2.9%	39%	1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 Bg4 5.Be2
1000-1200	43	53.5%	4.7%	41.9%	1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 Bg4 5.Be2
1200-1400	25	52%	0%	48%	1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 Bg4 5.Be2 e6 6.O-O
1400-1600	150	54%	4%	42%	1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 Bg4 5.Be2 e6 6.O-O Be7
1600-1800	46	47.8%	8.7%	43.5%	1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 Bg4 5.Be2 e6 6.O-O Be7
1800-2000	168	48.2%	4.2%	47.6%	1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 Bg4 5.Be2 e6 6.O-O Be7
2000-2200	318	48.1%	4.7%	47.2%	1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 Bg4 5.Be2 e6 6.O-O Be7
2200-2400	318	48.1%	6%	45.9%	1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 Bg4 5.Be2 e6 6.O-O Be7

Most played continuations (2000-2200 rating)

After 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 Bg4 5.Be2 e6 6.O-O Be7:

c4 — played 50.3% of the time (White wins 47.5%, draws 4.4%, Black wins 48.1%)
h3 — played 23.6% of the time (White wins 50.7%, draws 2.7%, Black wins 46.7%)
exd6 — played 7.2% of the time (White wins 52.2%, draws 4.3%, Black wins 43.5%)

Frequently asked questions

Is the Alekhine Defense refuted by the Four Pawns Attack?

No. The Four Pawns (4.c4 Nb6 5.f4) looks crushing but theory shows Black's counterplay with ...dxe5, ...Nc6 and ...Bf5 holds the balance — White's center is as much a liability as an asset. It is, however, the line every Alekhine player must know cold.

Who should play the Alekhine?

Counterpunchers. If you enjoy positions where the opponent is handed rope — space, central pawns, and every chance to overextend — the Alekhine delivers them by force. Players who prefer holding their own central stake should look at the Caro-Kann instead.