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Alekhine's Defense (B02)
1 e4 Nf6

Number of games in database: 4389
Years covered: 1802 to 2025
Overall record:
   White wins 36.2%
   Black wins 34.7%
   Draws 29.1%

Popularity graph, by decade

Explore this opening  |  Search for sacrifices in this opening.
PRACTITIONERS
With the White Pieces With the Black Pieces
Varlam Vepkhvishvili  24 games
Evgeny Sveshnikov  24 games
Alexander Alekhine  16 games
Vladimir Bagirov  50 games
Heikki Westerinen  40 games
Lev Alburt  33 games
NOTABLE GAMES [what is this?]
White Wins Black Wins
A Nimzowitsch vs Alekhine, 1926
H Borochow vs Fine, 1932
A Powers vs A Dake, 1937
G Thomas vs Alekhine, 1925
NN vs G Geshev, 1935
I Rabinovich vs Levenfish, 1927
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 page 1 of 176; games 1-25 of 4,389  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. Madame De Remusat vs Napoleon Bonaparte 0-1131802Paris, FranceB02 Alekhine's Defense
2. H A Kennedy vs C Stanley  ½-½361846Casual gameB02 Alekhine's Defense
3. Paulsen vs C Pearson  0-1191862Blindfold simul, 10bB02 Alekhine's Defense
4. S McCalla vs L D Barbour 1-0271887Casual gameB02 Alekhine's Defense
5. J M Hanham vs E Delmar 1-05418931st City Chess Club TournamentB02 Alekhine's Defense
6. T Physick vs J E Hall  1-0461897City of London CC - Yorkshire CA telephone mB02 Alekhine's Defense
7. Pillsbury vs E Chatard 1-0161900Pillsbury Blindfold Simul 12b, Cercle PhilidorB02 Alekhine's Defense
8. A Nimzowitsch vs Albin 1-0381905Austro-Hungarian championshipB02 Alekhine's Defense
9. Malle vs Dankert  0-1121921KielB02 Alekhine's Defense
10. A Donegan / E Muller vs Alekhine / O Zimmerman 0-1331921Consultation gameB02 Alekhine's Defense
11. Saemisch vs Alekhine ½-½241921BudapestB02 Alekhine's Defense
12. Z von Balla vs K Sterk 1-0171921BudapestB02 Alekhine's Defense
13. Maroczy vs G Marco 1-0381921The HagueB02 Alekhine's Defense
14. J Krejcik vs A Gottlieb 1-071922Landstrasser SchachbundB02 Alekhine's Defense
15. H J Ament vs NN 1-0121922Sneek WinterB02 Alekhine's Defense
16. City of Kuldiga vs Ventspils 1-0231922Kuldiga v. VentspilsB02 Alekhine's Defense
17. L Kubbel vs I Rabinovich  0-1351922Petrograd championshipB02 Alekhine's Defense
18. H Strick van Linschoten vs G Oskam  ½-½201922NED Team-ch 192122B02 Alekhine's Defense
19. A Aurbach vs Alekhine 1-0261922Exhibition gameB02 Alekhine's Defense
20. L Bourqui vs I Koenig 0-1291922Team MatchB02 Alekhine's Defense
21. P Johner vs G Marco ½-½261922Bad PistyanB02 Alekhine's Defense
22. L Prokes vs G Marco 1-0501922Bad PistyanB02 Alekhine's Defense
23. O Zander vs S Gruber 1-041192222nd DSB Congress, Bad OeynhausenB02 Alekhine's Defense
24. J Mieses vs Kostic ½-½581922Teplitz-SchonauB02 Alekhine's Defense
25. H Wolf vs Gruenfeld ½-½391922Teplitz-SchonauB02 Alekhine's Defense
 page 1 of 176; games 1-25 of 4,389  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)  

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 10 OF 10 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Sep-09-09  whiteshark: Tkanks for pointing out, <tamar>. I didn't know that there are more Nakamuras (4: http://www.chessgames.com/perl/ches...) It's one of those split-second non-awarenesses that make you look like a patzer. Like todays puzzle. :D
May-09-10  refutor: does anyone have tim taylor's new book "Alekhine Alert"?

http://www.newinchess.com/Shop/Prod...

what are the lines he recommends v. Nf3? is it a decent book?

May-25-10  midknightblue: I just ordered it. I understand that he recommends exd6 in the exchange variation, and that he feels white's strongest variation is the modern variation, where he recommends 4 Nf3 dxe5 5.Nxe5 and either 5...c6 or g6, noting that in some cases the lines can transpose. You can download a pdf of the table of contents and of the beginning of the chapter on the modern variation on the everyman chess website.
Jun-20-10  rapidcitychess: I was considering adding the Alekhine to my very small opening list (Ruy Lopez,Najdorf Sicilian, King's Indian) until I saw the amazing Spielmann gambit.As most of you know it goes <1.e4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3. e5 Nfd7 4.e6!?> Before I adress the gambit itself AgentRGent 3...Ne4 It is a move that seems good but GM Boris Alterman points out that the odd looking 4.Nce2! gives White a advantage. His main line runs 4...Nc5 5.d4 Ne6 6.f4

Now we go to the gambit.
4...fxe6 (forced)5.d4 and the main position is reached. Now I turn it over to Boris Alterman.
http://www.chessclub.com/chessfm/in... In case you cannot get that, There are three main lines 5..Nf6
Spielmann vs S Landau, 1933
The others are discussed in the video as I have no games for those.I will try to get those.I need to watch this to get the others.

Untill next time...

Aug-05-10  TomGinTX: I am reading "Alekhine Alert" nowadays. I like it. Also like Starting Out: Alekhine and Davies' Alekhine's Defence.

vs Modern 4 Nf3, he recommends Kengis 5...g6 or 5...c3.

vs Exchange 5...exd6

vs 4 Pawns 5...g6

Every chapter has a section of "Lines I don't like". He steers you away from lines where you have to memorize a lot of theory just to keep from getting killed.

rapid, you can go ahead with the Alekhine. After 2 Nc3, Taylor recommends 2...e5. Instead of the cool gambit, White has to play a Vienna or Four Knights or somesuch. Maybe he will fall asleep at the board and you will win on time. 8-)

You can also play 2...d6 and go to a Pirc, or 2...e6 and go to a French.

Aug-05-10  AgentRgent: <rapidcitychess> With all due respect to GM Alterman this line looks rather poor for white in practice... e.g. Opening Explorer

Furthermore, Chesslab.com shows Black scoring 36% vs 13% for white after 6...g6 (incidentally the last white win was in 1996 with 3 Black wins [1 this year in Prague] and 6 draws since).

I'd be interested to see GM Alterman's analysis on this line.

Aug-22-10  rapidcitychess: Hmm, nice. <Agent> It doesn't give a winning advantage. If you can read up on it,that would be nice, that's about all he gives on it, and it's fairly old to so maybe? I don't know much about it, and I have about zero opening books except for an old book by Seirawan that's worth it weight in something. But it's no good for me. :-)

<rapid, you can go ahead with the Alekhine. After 2 Nc3, Taylor recommends 2...e5. Instead of the cool gambit, White has to play a Vienna or Four Knights or somesuch. Maybe he will fall asleep at the board and you will win on time. 8-)> I tried it. I got squished like a bug. :-(

Apr-10-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  Penguincw: Opening of the Day:
Alekhine's Defense, Krejcik Variation
1.e4 ♘f6 2.♗c4

What a strange opening.I have never even considered gambitting a pawn like that.

Apr-10-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  keypusher: <Penguincw: Opening of the Day: Alekhine's Defense, Krejcik Variation 1.e4 Nf6 2.Bc4

What a strange opening.I have never even considered gambitting a pawn like that.>

It's not really a gambit. 2....Nxe4 3.Bxf7+ Kxf7 4.Qh5+ g6 (or 4....Kg8) 5.Qd5+ e6 6.Qxe4. But Black should take the pawn anyway, since he winds up with the bishop pair and an extra pawn in the center.

Of course 2....d5 is also fine, and 2....e5 is a Bishop's Opening.

Dec-12-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  Penguincw: Opening of the Day

Alekhine's Defense
1.e4 ♘f6


click for larger view

Nov-04-12  AgentRgent: The Krejcik comes round again...

Opening of the Day (Nov 4, 2012)
Alekhine's Defense, Krejcik Variation
1. e4 Nf6 2. Bc4

Nov-12-12  Wyatt Gwyon: Any club players here who venture this opening with any frequency? Thinking about picking it up and am curious which variations are most commonly seen.
Nov-12-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  WannaBe: <keypusher> is a practictioner of this opening, pick his brain...
Nov-12-12  Wyatt Gwyon: Thanks. I've played the French for probably 15 years. Just getting tired of the exchange variation.
Nov-13-12  Shams: <Wyatt Gwyon> As I understand things, the lines after <4.Nf3> are why today's elite players shy away from Alekhine's Defense. For a while the Voronezh Attack was quite dangerous, but Black is surviving that well enough today I think. Whether you can play for a win against it is a question I don't know the answer to. You'll see it a lot, so defending that is a good place to start:

http://www.chess.com/forum/view/che...

Dec-29-12  Kikoman: <Opening of the Day>

Alekhine's Defense (B02)

1. e4 ♘f6


click for larger view

Jul-15-13  parisattack: I never tried the Alekhine until recently in a series of email games. I actually sort of like it! Seems to take a few games to get into the swing, however.

Many books on the Alekhine, course. Although a little out-of-date the best is the two volume German Die Aljechin Verteidigung by Siebenhaar / Delnef / Ottstadt. (Sounds like a German law firm!)

If any interest I can post a list of Alekhine tomes.

GM Baburin plays it quite well, 100+ games in the CG.com database.

Jul-15-13  parisattack: Alekhine Defense Books

Bagirov - Alekhine's Defence
Bogdanov - Play the Alekhine
Burgess - New Ideas in the Alekhine Defence
Christiansen - Alekhine's Defense As White: The Four Pawns Attack Davies - Alekhine's Defence
Dunworth - Developments in the Alekhine 1985-1987
Eales and Williams - Alekhine's Defence
Greet - Beating Unusual Ches Defences
Hort - Alekhine's Defence
Hort and Keene - Alekhine's Defence
Lane - Alekhine Defence
Lonsdale - Alekhine Defence: 3. d4 Against the Brooklyn Variation Lonsdale - Alekhone Defence: Larsen Variation
Martin - Trends in the Alekhine 2
McDonald - Trends in the Alekhine 1
Sawyer - Alekhine Defence Playbook
Schwarz - Alekhine Verteidigung
Siebenhaar, Et Al - Die Aljechin Verteidigung B1
Siebenhaar, Et Al - Die Alejechin Verteidigung B2
Smith and Hall - Alekhine's Defense
Soltis - Beating the Alekhine Defense with the Exchange Variation Taylor - Alekhine Alert!
Tucker and Long - Alekhine's Defense: Bronstein-Ljubojevic Weinstein - The Alekhine 1977

Others?

Jul-15-13  TheFocus: Hey <paris> I picked up the DeLucia 2-volume set for $675. A bargain.
Jul-15-13  parisattack: That's a bargain, indeed <TheFocus>! Saw <Bogomeister> [KC] listing them on eBay for $1100 recently.
Jul-15-13  TheFocus: Brandreth has it for $1020.

My dealer went directly to David.

They are not inscribed though.

Two of my others are signed. (Not the Fischer one!)

Sep-13-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  fredthebear: The discussion of this defense has certainly dropped off. Here's some history according to Tartajubow: https://tartajubow.blogspot.com/201...
May-30-22  TheaN: It seems like CG regularly features the Krejcik <1. e4 Nf6 2. Bc4?!> as OotD.

I'm not a common Alekhine practitioner but this 'gambit' no longer scares me: 2....Nxe4 3.Bxf7+ Kxf7 4.Qh5+ Kg8!? 5.Qd5+ e6 6.Qxe4 d5 ⩱.

4....Kg8 is slightly more solid than 4....g6 but the tucked in rook might not be everyone's taste. Having said that, Black has the center, the bishop pair, and after probably 7.Qe2 Nc6 also the better development. It's still not without sting, but similar as Bxf7+ in the Knight Fork, White gains nothing constructive out of the opening.

The solid lines against the Alekhine are much more dangerous. Or if you really want to gambit something, play Spielmann (2.Nc3 d5 3.e5 Nfd7 4.e6=, but very dangerous).

May-05-24  Amarande: Spielmann's line is rather dangerous in general, it is super easy to go squish as Black here:

- not returning the pawn immediately is bad (Spielmann vs S Landau, 1933)

- biting at the e-pawn is bad (4 ... fxe6 5 d4 e5! 6 dxe5 Nxe5? 7 Qh5+ Ng6 8 Bd3, oops)

- Qh5 is still a threat even after that (6 ... e6 7 Bd3! Nxe5? 8 Qh5+, or 7 ... Bc5? or 7 ... Bb4? 8 Qh5+ and Black can't answer with g6 on account of the pin, while White rides easy after 8 ... Kf8)

- even when the threat of Qh5 is past, early castling is still problematic (6 ... e6 7 Bd3 g6 8 f4 Bg7 9 Nf3 O-O?! 10 h4! with a serious attack that even center counteraction isn't enough against, e.g. 10 ... c5 11 h5 d4 12 hxg6! dxc3 13 gxh7+ and wins, for if 13 ... Kh8 14 Nh4!, while if 13 ... Kf7 14 Ng5+ Ke7 15 Nxe6!) while White already has considerable forces ready to attack soon in the center if castling is delayed.

So 2 Nc3 with a view to the e6 sac actually seems more dangerous than the traditional e5, all told.

May-06-24  FM David H. Levin: Here are some thoughts on assorted lines mentioned in this thread.

On 1.e4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.e5, I play 3...d4. CG has a couple of my games as Black in this line.

On 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.c4 Nb6 4.c5 Nd5 5.Bc4 e6 6.Nc3, I would play 6...d6 7.Nxd5 exd5 8.Bxd5 dxe5. Theory says this is bad owing to 9.Qf3, but I found 9...f5 10.Bxb7 e4 11.Qb3 Bxb7 12.Qxb7 Nd7, intending to plant the knight at d3. For example, 13.Qd5 Be7 14.Qxf5 Nxc5, when White has a pawn but suffers from backward development and weaknesses at d3, d2, and f2.

On 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.c4 Nb6 5.f4, the book lines didn't satisfy me as Black. So, ~40 years ago, I started looking at 5...g5 and found that Black has a lot of tactical resources that aren't found in opening books. My website davidlevinchess dot com has analysis on this and some other lines.

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