Semi-Open · a defense for Black
Alekhine Defense: Modern Variation
7/7
1.e4Nf62.e5Nd53.d4d64.Nf3
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Alekhine Defense: Modern Variation1.1M games · Black to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
3.6%41k49%
1.1%13k47%
0.9%11k46%
0.5%6.0k50%
0.1%1.0k42%
Famous games in this line9.8k master games
Anand, V. (2784) – Nakamura, Hi (2787)Anand, Viswanathan (2799) – Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar (2760)Karjakin, Sergey (2775) – Kamsky, Gata (2762)Anand, Viswanathan (2799) – Carlsen, Magnus (2733)Grischuk, Alexander (2764) – Nakamura, Hikaru (2760)Kasparov, Garry (2838) – Short, Nigel D (2682)Vachier Lagrave, M. (2779) – Dominguez Perez, L. (2739)Vachier Lagrave, M. (2779) – Dominguez Perez, L. (2739)Heroes of this opening Anand, Viswanathan · Vachier Lagrave, M. · Karjakin, Sergey · Nakamura, Hikaru
- Family
- Alekhine Defense
- Category
- Semi-Open
- First move
- 1.e4
- ECO
- B04
- Line
- 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3
Hypermodern
★ Read the guide: Alekhine DefenseExplore all 56 Alekhine Defense lines →Keep exploring
Go deeper — named lines from here
Alekhine Defense: Modern Variation, Main Line4…Bg4 · 4 deeper linesAlekhine Defense: Modern Variation, Alburt Variation4…g6 · 1 deeper lineAlekhine Defense: Modern Variation, Larsen Variation4…dxe5Alekhine Defense: Modern Variation, Schmid Variation4…Nb6
Nearby lines in the family
From the archives
Alexander Alekhine played 1...Nf6 at Budapest in 1921 and made it his: invite White's pawns to chase the knight across the board, then treat the overextended centre as a target. The move had been analysed a century earlier; the name stuck to the only world champion to die while still holding the title.
Study this opening