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Alekhine's Defense: lure White's pawns forward with a knight

Black's knight attacks e4 on move one, letting White's pawns chase it up the board, then turns around and attacks the pawns that went too far.

Also called：Alekhine's Defence、Alekhine Defense

Alekhine's Defense is 1. e4 Nf6. Black's knight attacks White's e4 pawn on the very first move. White's pawn pushes forward to chase the knight away, and that's exactly what Black wants: the further the pawns go, the emptier things get behind them, and the easier they are to attack. It's a bit cheeky and a lot of fun to play. Try it when you play chess for free.

Moves and position

  1. 1. e4 Nf6 Black's knight attacks the pawn on e4.
  2. 2. e5 Nd5 White's pawn moves forward to chase the knight, which jumps to d5 in the center.
  3. 3. d4 d6 White takes more of the center with the d-pawn, and Black starts attacking the e5 pawn with d6.

The opening is named after a world champion. One story says he's the one who made it famous in tournament play. The idea is "hypermodern": instead of occupying the center with pawns, Black lets White do it and then attacks it.

What White wants

  • A big center: White's pawns on d4 and e5 give lots of space, and Black's pieces struggle to find good squares.
  • Keep chasing the knight: c4 kicks the knight off d5 and grabs another central square too.
  • Don't push too far: White has to be careful. The more pawns you push, the harder they are to protect.

What Black wants

  • Hit the pawns at the root: use pawns like d6, c5 and f6 to attack White's advanced pawns from the side.
  • Develop faster: while White is busy pushing pawns, Black gets the pieces out.
  • The knight doesn't mind being chased: even on b6 it's useful, keeping an eye on c4 and d5.

Main lines

Modern Variation: 4. Nf3

White stops chasing the knight and develops first. Black's bishop goes to g4 to pin the white knight, then e6 builds a wall.

This is the main line and the steadiest. White keeps the space in the center, Black develops comfortably, and the position is fairly balanced.

Four Pawns Attack: 4. c4 and 5. f4

White pushes all four pawns (c, d, e and f) into the center and has a huge amount of space.

This is the most aggressive line, and it's exactly the position Black is trying to lure White into. A big row of pawns looks impressive, but it's hard to keep them all protected. Black often trades off the e5 pawn first, then attacks d4 with knights and bishops:

Black trades off e5, and the black knight comes out to c6 and starts eyeing d4.

Exchange Variation: 5. exd6

White trades pawns so Black can't attack e5. The game becomes quieter.

This line is calmer. White keeps a little space, and Black's pawns are healthy. White players who don't want to memorize a lot often choose it.

A common trap: rushing to take back on e5

Sometimes White doesn't play d4 on move three and plays 3. Nc3 instead, trading off the black knight. Now Black has to be careful about the d-file:

Black takes back the pawn on e5, which looks reasonable. But the d-file is wide open, and the two queens are staring at each other.

White has a trick:

White's bishop takes f7 with check, and the black king has to take it. As soon as the king leaves e8, the black queen on d8 has no protection, and the white queen takes it.

Why does the king have to take the bishop? The d7 square next to it is covered by the white queen along the d-file, and d8, f8 and e7 are all filled with Black's own pieces, so Kxf7 is the only move. Black wins a bishop but loses the queen.

The right plan is not to take on e5 on move 5. Develop first with something like 5... Nc6 or 5... e6, and deal with the d-file before grabbing the pawn. Remember: when the two queens face each other on the same line, first check whether your opponent can give check first.

White to move. Black just took back the pawn on e5. White can win the black queen. How?
Show answer

6. Bxf7+ Kxf7 7. Qxd8 First take f7 with the bishop, with check. The black king has to take the bishop, and now nothing protects the black queen on d8, so the white queen takes it down the d-file.

Who it suits

  • Players who like something different: few opponents prepare for this opening, so they often have to figure things out from move one.
  • Players who like to counterattack: let White charge first, then look for chances to hit the pawns.
  • Players who don't mind messy positions: the Four Pawns Attack is very sharp, so you need to be brave and calculate.

Like the Pirc Defense, it lets White take the center first. The difference is that Alekhine's Defense provokes White with a knight right away, so things happen faster and get messier.

Frequently asked questions

Is Alekhine's Defense good for beginners?

You can play it, but first you need to understand why you'd let your opponent take the center. If that still feels strange, start with 1... e5 and try Alekhine's once you're more comfortable.

Doesn't the knight waste a lot of moves getting chased around?

It does spend moves, but so does White: every pawn push is a move White isn't using to develop. And every pawn that gets pushed forward needs protecting later. Black is betting that those pawns will turn into a burden.

As White against Alekhine's, what's the simplest way to play?

The Modern Variation, 4. Nf3, is the most practical: keep the center, develop normally and castle. There's no need to push every pawn up the board.

Try it yourself

Use the button below to start a game against the computer from the Alekhine's Defense position, and see if you can pick off White's advanced pawns one by one. To see other openings, go back to the openings guide. To try a different level, head back to the online chess game home page.

Play this opening against the computer

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