Semi-Open · a defense for Black
Alekhine Defense: Two Pawns Attack
5/5
1.e4Nf62.e5Nd53.c4
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Alekhine Defense: Two Pawns Attack4.7M games · Black to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
97%4.5M52%
1.4%63k45%
0.2%8.7k22%
0.1%5.5k24%
0.1%2.7k22%
0%85323%
0%74656%
0%47019%
0%38725%
Famous games in this line1.7k master games
Aronian, Levon (2773) – Carlsen, Magnus (2863)Carlsen, M. (2832) – Firouzja, Alireza (2767)Xiong, Jeffery (2707) – Duda, J. (2730)Nakamura, Hi (2768) – Bortnyk, Olexandr (2604)Nakamura, Hikaru (2735) – Zinchenko, Yaroslav (2546)Nakamura, Hikaru (2658) – Shabalov, Alexander (2606)Smirnov, Ant (2567) – Xiong, Jeffery (2679)Movsesian, Sergei (2646) – Francsics, Endre (2592)Heroes of this opening Nakamura, Hikaru · Carlsen, Magnus · Xiong, Jeffery · Shabalov, Alexander
- Family
- Alekhine Defense
- Category
- Semi-Open
- First move
- 1.e4
- ECO
- B02
- Line
- 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. c4
AggressiveHypermodern
★ Read the guide: Alekhine DefenseExplore all 56 Alekhine Defense lines →Keep exploring
Go deeper — named lines from here
Alekhine Defense: The Squirrel3…Nf4Alekhine Defense: Steiner Variation3…Nb6 4.b3Alekhine Defense: Two Pawns Attack, Tate Variation3…Nb6 4.a4Alekhine Defense: Two Pawns Attack, Lasker Variation3…Nb6 4.c5 · 4 deeper lines
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