Semi-Open · a defense for Black
Alekhine Defense: Modern Variation, Main Line
8/8
1.e4Nf62.e5Nd53.d4d64.Nf3Bg4
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Alekhine Defense: Modern Variation, Main Line472k games · White to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
52%243k50%
15%69k50%
11%53k49%
1.4%6.5k43%
0.6%2.7k46%
0.5%2.4k47%
0.5%2.4k43%
0.5%2.3k25%
Famous games in this line3.3k master games
Navara, D. (2744) – Rapport, R. (2731)Navara, D. (2744) – Rapport, R. (2731)Anand, V. (2773) – Maghsoodloo, Parham (2688)Spassky, Boris V (2660) – Fischer, Robert James (2785)Adams, Michael (2729) – Ponomariov, Ruslan (2705)Polgar, Judit (2677) – Morozevich, Alexander (2723)Karjakin, Sergey (2727) – Short, Nigel D (2655)Anand, Viswanathan (2715) – Jussupow, Artur (2665)Heroes of this opening Rapport, R. · Anand, V. · Adams, Michael · Morozevich, Alexander
- Family
- Alekhine Defense
- Category
- Semi-Open
- First move
- 1.e4
- ECO
- B05
- Line
- 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3 Bg4
Hypermodern
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Go deeper — named lines from here
Alekhine Defense: Modern Variation, Panov Variation5.h3Alekhine Defense: Modern Variation, Alekhine Variation5.c4 · 1 deeper lineAlekhine Defense: Modern Variation, Flohr Variation5.Be2 c6Alekhine Defense: Modern Variation, Vitolins Attack5.c4 Nb6 6.d5
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