B03 · Semi-Open · a defense for Black

Alekhine Defense: Exchange Variation, Voronezh Variation

17/17
1.e4Nf62.e5Nd53.d4d64.c4Nb65.exd6cxd66.Nc3g67.Be3Bg78.Rc1O-O9.b3
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Alekhine Defense: Exchange Variation, Voronezh Variation53k games · Black to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
67%35k42%
14%7.6k47%
8.4%4.4k47%
1.9%1.0k40%
1.9%1.0k51%
1.3%69848%
1.2%62742%
0.9%48942%
0.9%47844%
0.7%38643%
Famous games in this line843 master games
Leko, Peter (2749) – Ivanchuk, Vassily (2750)20071–0Baklan, Vladimir (2647) – Nakamura, Hikaru (2670)2008½–½Xiong, Jeffery (2618) – Kamsky, G. (2678)20161–0Nakamura, Hikaru (2735) – Zinchenko, Yaroslav (2546)20101–0Kobalia, Mihail (2643) – Socko, Bartosz (2630)2006½–½Almasi, Zoltan (2650) – Miroshnichenko, Evgenij (2617)20041–0Zhao Jun (2634) – Zhou Jianchao (2612)2016½–½Lu Shanglei (2619) – Zhou Jianchao (2612)2016½–½
Heroes of this opening Leko, Peter · Xiong, Jeffery · Nakamura, Hikaru · Almasi, Zoltan
Family
Alekhine Defense
Category
Semi-Open
First move
1.e4
ECO
B03
Line
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. exd6 cxd6 6. Nc3 g6 7. Be3 Bg7 8. Rc1 O-O 9. b3
Hypermodern
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Nearby lines in the family
Alekhine Defense: Four Pawns Attack, Ilyin-Zhenevsky VariationB03 5.f4 dxe5 6.fxe5 Nc6 7.Nf3 Bg4 …Alekhine Defense: Hunt Variation, Mikenas GambitB02 3.c4 Nb6 4.c5 Nd5 5.Bc4 e6 …Alekhine Defense: Four Pawns Attack, Korchnoi VariationB03 5.f4 dxe5 6.fxe5 Bf5 7.Nc3 e6 …
From the archives

Alexander Alekhine introduced 1...Nf6!? in Budapest 1921: invite White's pawns to chase the knight across the board, then treat the overextended center as a target. It's provocation as strategy, from the only world champion who died holding the title.

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