Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...Nf6/2. Nc3/2...d5

Alekhine's Defence
a b c d e f g h 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 a b c d e f g h
Position in Forsyth-Edwards Notation (FEN) rnbqkb1r/ppp1pppp/5n2/3p4/4P3/2N5/PPPP1PPP/R1BQKBNR w
Moves: 1. e4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5

Alekhine's Defence

2...d5

Both main options 3. exd5, and 3. e5 lead to drawish positions in their mainlines where equality is achieved easily. However, both black and white can deviate in the 3. e5 line, leading the potentially sharper positions. However, if white wants to try get a sharp game, they can play 3. d4?!, the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit. However, this is considered dubious with best play, but is good for club-level and blitz/bullet play, especially given the trap potential. Other alternatives are 3. d3, 3. f3, or even 3. Bd3, but none of them give white any more than equality.

After 3. exd5 Nxd5 4. Nxd5 Qxd5, Black has a strong centralised queen and easy development, leaving equality or a slight advantage to black. After 3. e5, black will most likely play 3... Nfd7, leading to a possible transposition to the Steinitz French or a pawn exchange after 4. Nxd5 Nxe5, or 3... d4, leading to either a similar variation to Nfd7 or a complex position after 4. exf6 dxc3 where many captures are possible.

Theory table

For explanation of theory tables, see theory table and for notation, see algebraic notation.

1.e4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5

	3	4	5	6
	exd5 Nxd5	Bc4 Nb6	Bb3 Nc6	Nf3 Bf5	=
	e5 d4	exf6 dxc3	fxg7 cxd2+	Qxd2 Qxd2+	=

References

• Nunn's Chess Openings. 1999. John Nunn (Editor), Graham Burgess, John Emms, Joe Gallagher. ISBN 1-8574-4221-0.

• Kasparov, Garry, & Keene, Raymond 1989 Batsford chess openings 2. ISBN 0-8050-3409-9.