Alekhine Defense

Overview

The Alekhine Defense (1. e4 Nf6) is a provocative hypermodern opening where Black invites White to advance the center pawns, then attacks the overextended pawn chain. The resulting positions are asymmetric and favor players who enjoy dynamic counterplay.

Position after 1. e4 Nf6

Key Ideas

• Black provokes White's pawns to advance with 2. e5 Nd5, then targets the overextended center.
• After 3. d4 d6, Black strikes at the center with ...dxe5 or ...c5 to undermine White's pawns.
• The Four Pawns Attack (2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. f4) is the most aggressive test.
• Black aims for a flexible piece setup and looks for tactical opportunities against White's exposed center.

Main Variations

History

Alexander Alekhine introduced this defense in the 1920s, shocking the chess world by flouting classical principles. Fischer played it to beat Spassky in their 1972 world championship match, and it remains a favorite of creative players.