Semi-Open · a defense for Black
Alekhine Defense: Four Pawns Attack
9/9
1.e4Nf62.e5Nd53.d4d64.c4Nb65.f4
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Alekhine Defense: Four Pawns Attack1.5M games · Black to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
64%949k56%
3.8%57k51%
1.4%21k42%
0.9%13k43%
0.2%3.1k42%
0.2%2.6k39%
0.2%2.3k43%
Famous games in this line1.4k master games
Caruana, Fabiano (2835) – Carlsen, Magnus (2863)Carlsen, M. (2832) – Firouzja, Alireza (2767)Nakamura, Hikaru (2736) – Carlsen, Magnus (2863)Erigaisi, Arjun (2797) – Abdusattorov, Nodirbek (2783)Morozevich, Alexander (2748) – Nakamura, Hikaru (2760)Grischuk, Alexander (2748) – Svidler, Peter (2726)Morozevich, Alexander (2742) – Ivanchuk, Vassily (2717)Xiong, Jeffery (2707) – Duda, J. (2730)Heroes of this opening Carlsen, Magnus · Nakamura, Hikaru · Svidler, Peter · Xiong, Jeffery
- 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. f4
AggressiveHypermodern
★ Read the guide: Alekhine DefenseExplore all 56 Alekhine Defense lines →Keep exploring
Go deeper — named lines from here
Alekhine Defense: Four Pawns Attack, Cambridge Gambit5…g5Alekhine Defense: Four Pawns Attack, Fianchetto Variation5…g6Alekhine Defense: Four Pawns Attack, Trifunovic Variation5…Bf5Alekhine Defense: Four Pawns Attack, Main Line5…dxe5 6.fxe5 Nc6 7.Be3 · 1 deeper line
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