Alekhine Defense B02
B — Semi-open games · Family: Alekhine Defense
1. e4 Nf6
The Alekhine Defense (1.e4 Nf6) is deliberate provocation: Black tempts White's pawns forward, then hopes to prove the center overextended. Named after the fourth world champion, it was revived as a serious weapon by Viktor Korchnoi and suits fighters who prefer unbalancing positions from move one.
The main line runs 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 with Black choosing between ...Bg4, ...Bf5 and ...Nc6 set-ups — White gets space, Black gets targets. White's most ambitious try is the Four Pawns Attack, while Black hits back with ...dxe5 and the thematic ...c5 and ...f5 levers. The Alekhine leads to unclear, piece-oriented battles where neither side can count on routine equality.
Play through the moves on the board above, explore the variations tree below — click any move of any branch — then test yourself against the engine from the position you picked.
- Position after 2 half-moves — White to move.
- Material is balanced.
- Family “Alekhine Defense” contains 56 recorded variation(s) here.
Variations tree of the Alekhine Defense family
Click any move to jump to that position; switch branches at any point with the alternative moves. Test your knowledge plays the shown position against the engine.
Variations of this family
| Name | ECO | Main line length |
|---|---|---|
| Alekhine Defense: Brooklyn Variation | B02 | 4 plies |
| Alekhine Defense: Brooklyn Variation, Everglades Variation | B02 | 6 plies |
| Alekhine Defense: Buckley Attack | B02 | 5 plies |
| Alekhine Defense: Hunt Variation, Lasker Simul Gambit | B02 | 11 plies |
| Alekhine Defense: Hunt Variation, Matsukevich Gambit | B02 | 13 plies |
| Alekhine Defense: Hunt Variation, Mikenas Gambit | B02 | 15 plies |
| Alekhine Defense: Kmoch Variation | B02 | 9 plies |
| Alekhine Defense: Krejcik Variation | B02 | 3 plies |
| Alekhine Defense: Krejcik Variation, Krejcik Gambit | B02 | 5 plies |
| Alekhine Defense: Maróczy Variation | B02 | 3 plies |
| Alekhine Defense: Mokele Mbembe | B02 | 4 plies |
| Alekhine Defense: Mokele Mbembe, Modern Line | B02 | 6 plies |
Related puzzles
Lichess tactics played in this opening — solve them right on the board:
Related openings
Nearby ECO codes in the B — Semi-open games volume — compare the move orders: