ECO code: B03
Alekhine Defense
Moves: 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4
The Alekhine Defense is a hypermodern opening where Black immediately challenges White's central presence by attacking the e4 pawn with the knight on f6. Instead of occupying the center directly, Black invites White to advance and potentially overextend their pawns.
In this line, White aggressively grabs space in the center with pawns on e5, d4, and c4, aiming to gain a strong spatial advantage. Black responds by targeting the advanced pawns and looks to undermine White's center later.
Characteristics: The key feature of the Alekhine Defense is Black's provocative knight move to f6, provoking White's central pawn push and then attacking the center from a distance, rather than occupying it immediately.
Attacking or Defensive: As White, this opening is primarily attacking, focusing on expanding and controlling the center aggressively. Black plays more defensively at first, aiming to counterattack White's extended center later in the game.
Center Control: White actively attacks and occupies the center with pawns, while Black aims to challenge and undermine this central control rather than occupying it directly at the start.
This opening is defined by the position shown on the board below. The moves displayed are a typical sequence that leads to it, but different sequences can reach the same position and still carry the same opening name.
Practice puzzles and train your tactics with real positions from games that used the Alekhine Defense, and sharpen your opening mastery.
Puzzle 1 of 8 - Move #7 black