Alekhine Defense
What is the Alekhine Defense?
The Alekhine Defense is a chess opening that begins with 1. e4 Nf6. It is classified under ECO B02–B05 and has 56 named variations. Black chooses it with the move Nf6.
Moves: 1. e4 Nf6
ECO: B02–B05
Chosen by: Black
Main variations
1. e4 Nf6 2. Bc4
1. e4 Nf6 2. d3
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Ng8
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Ne4
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5
1. e4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5
All 56 variations
| ECO | Variation | Moves |
|---|---|---|
| B02 | Main line | 1. e4 Nf6 |
| B02 | Krejcik Variation | 1. e4 Nf6 2. Bc4 |
| B02 | Maróczy Variation | 1. e4 Nf6 2. d3 |
| B02 | Brooklyn Variation | 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Ng8 |
| B02 | Mokele Mbembe | 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Ne4 |
| B02 | Normal Variation | 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 |
| B02 | Scandinavian Variation | 1. e4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5 |
| B03 | Main line | 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 |
| B02 | Buckley Attack | 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. Na3 |
| B02 | Krejcik Variation, Krejcik Gambit | 1. e4 Nf6 2. Bc4 Nxe4 3. Bxf7+ |
| B02 | Sämisch Attack | 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. Nc3 |
| B02 | Two Pawns Attack | 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. c4 |
| B02 | Welling Variation | 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. b3 |
| B03 | Main line | 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 |
| B02 | Brooklyn Variation, Everglades Variation | 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Ng8 3. d4 f5 |
| B02 | Mokele Mbembe, Modern Line | 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Ne4 3. d4 f6 |
| B02 | Mokele Mbembe, Vavra Defense | 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Ne4 3. d4 e6 |
| B03 | O'Sullivan Gambit | 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 b5 |
| B02 | Scandinavian Variation, Geschev Gambit | 1. e4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5 3. exd5 c6 |
| B02 | The Squirrel | 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. c4 Nf4 |
| B03 | Main line | 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 |
| B03 | Balogh Variation | 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Bc4 |
| B04 | Modern Variation | 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3 |
| B02 | Scandinavian Variation, Myers Gambit | 1. e4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5 3. d3 dxe4 4. Bg5 |
| B02 | Spielmann Gambit | 1. e4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5 3. e5 Nfd7 4. e6 |
| B02 | Steiner Variation | 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. c4 Nb6 4. b3 |
| B02 | Two Pawns Attack, Lasker Variation | 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. c4 Nb6 4. c5 |
| B02 | Two Pawns Attack, Tate Variation | 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. c4 Nb6 4. a4 |
| B04 | Modern Variation, Alburt Variation | 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3 g6 |
| B04 | Modern Variation, Larsen Variation | 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3 dxe5 |
| B04 | Modern Variation, Larsen-Haakert Variation | 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3 Nc6 |
| B05 | Modern Variation, Main Line | 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3 Bg4 |
| B04 | Modern Variation, Schmid Variation | 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3 Nb6 |
| B03 | Exchange Variation | 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. exd6 |
| B03 | Four Pawns Attack | 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. f4 |
| B03 | Hunt Variation | 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. c5 |
| B02 | Kmoch Variation | 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. Bc4 Nb6 4. Bb3 c5 5. d3 |
| B05 | Modern Variation, Alekhine Variation | 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3 Bg4 5. c4 |
| B05 | Modern Variation, Panov Variation | 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3 Bg4 5. h3 |
| B03 | Four Pawns Attack, Cambridge Gambit | 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. f4 g5 |
| B03 | Four Pawns Attack, Fianchetto Variation | 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. f4 g6 |
| B03 | Four Pawns Attack, Trifunovic Variation | 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. f4 Bf5 |
| B05 | Modern Variation, Flohr Variation | 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3 Bg4 5. Be2 c6 |
| B02 | Hunt Variation, Lasker Simul Gambit | 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. c4 Nb6 4. c5 Nd5 5. Bc4 e6 6. Nc3 |
| B03 | Modern Variation, Alekhine Gambit | 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. Nf3 Bg4 6. Be2 |
| B05 | Modern Variation, Vitolins Attack | 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3 Bg4 5. c4 Nb6 6. d5 |
| B02 | Two Pawns Attack, Mikenas Variation | 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. c4 Nb6 4. c5 Nd5 5. Bc4 e6 6. Nc3 d6 |
| B03 | Four Pawns Attack, Main Line | 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. f4 dxe5 6. fxe5 Nc6 7. Be3 |
| B02 | Hunt Variation, Matsukevich Gambit | 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. c4 Nb6 4. c5 Nd5 5. Nc3 Nxc3 6. dxc3 d6 7. Bg5 |
| B04 | Modern Variation, Keres Variation | 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3 g6 5. Bc4 Nb6 6. Bb3 Bg7 7. a4 |
| B02 | Hunt Variation, Mikenas Gambit | 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. c4 Nb6 4. c5 Nd5 5. Bc4 e6 6. Nc3 d6 7. Nxd5 exd5 8. Bxd5 |
| B03 | Exchange Variation, Voronezh Variation | 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. exd6 cxd6 6. Nc3 g6 7. Be3 Bg7 8. Rc1 O-O 9. b3 |
| B03 | Four Pawns Attack, Ilyin-Zhenevsky Variation | 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. f4 dxe5 6. fxe5 Nc6 7. Nf3 Bg4 8. e6 fxe6 9. c5 |
| B03 | Four Pawns Attack, Korchnoi Variation | 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. f4 dxe5 6. fxe5 Bf5 7. Nc3 e6 8. Nf3 Be7 9. Be2 O-O 10. O-O f6 |
| B03 | Exchange Variation, Karpov Variation | 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. exd6 cxd6 6. Nc3 g6 7. h3 Bg7 8. Nf3 O-O 9. Be2 Nc6 10. O-O Bf5 11. Bf4 |
| B03 | Four Pawns Attack, Tartakower Variation | 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. f4 dxe5 6. fxe5 Nc6 7. Be3 Bf5 8. Nc3 e6 9. Nf3 Qd7 10. Be2 O-O-O 11. O-O Be7 |
How to learn an opening
Learn the ideas before the moves: where the pieces go, which pawn breaks matter and what the typical middlegame plans are. Then play it, and after each game look up the point where you or your opponent left the known moves. MentoChess shows that point automatically for every game you import.
Opening lessons: Three golden opening rules · Scholar’s mate and how to stop it · Italian Game: plans, not just moves · Answering 1.d4: the Queen’s Gambit Declined · Meeting the Sicilian with 2.c3 · From moves to structures