I'm a Beginer and I have a question about alekhines defence. Ok...so it goes
1. e4 nf6
2. e5 nd5
...what if he playes 3. c4 ( I can play nb4 or nb6) and if I do doesn't that give my opponent tempo and control over the center? So whats the point of alekhines then?

After c4, the correct move is Nb6, but if you're asking questions like this, the correct move is not to play the Alekhine's defense.

The idea behind Alekhine's defense is to give white a big center - and then prove that center is weak. As you correctly intuited, you're violating opening principles. This makes it a high-risk opening. It's also not for inexperienced players, who will simply get crushed by white's large center.

Thanks =)...I'll stick to e4 or nf3...e4 when I want a nice stable game, nf3 when Im in the mood for somthing more fast and open.

The idea behind the Alekhine defense, in abstract, is similar to other defenses such as the Indian Defenses vs Queen's pawn opening (King's Indian, Queen's Indian, Nimzo-Indian, Grunfeld Indian, etc).

These defenses recognize a couple of things:

1) If white moves a pawn, he does not develop a piece.
2) Hence, if he tries to occupy the center with pawns, he is lagging behind in piece development
3) Every pawn move creates weaknesses (it leaves behind him a number of squares that cannot be protected by pawns)
4) Advanced pawns give spatial advantage but can be attacked easier if the opponent pieces are not coordinated


All the above mentioned defense try to develop the pieces quicker than the opponent, leaving him the temporary occupation of the center with pawns. Once the opponent's pawns are in the center, they start to challenge thee pawns, making use of the (usually) better development.

So usually, in many cases, in such defenses, white ends up with a spatial advantage at the expense of lagging in development: Black instead will have a spatial disadvantage and less pawns in the center, but active piece play.

The play that usually follows can be very complicated - ESPECIALLY IN THE ALEKHINE DEFENSE ! - and is hardly the best way to start playing opening for an improving player

Most of these defenses are quite good, but can sound pretty obscure; instead, at the beginning, it is usually more advisable to play opening where the piece develop according to logical play, and a following clear strategical/tactical battle follow.

Agreed!! For up to date player who uses Alekhines Def pretty much all the time. My countries number 1 player GM Alexander Baburin. 2500+ with v.respectable results.

My impression of the Alekhine is that you better be pretty accurate for a lot of moves just to get equality. It is not a forgiving opening. White does not have to be all that accurate. But black does.

One more thing, black should be very concerned about the exchange variation and the modern variation. In both lines, white gets a bind in the center and black has to be pretty alert for mistakes by white. With patience and about 18 to 30 moves black can even get an edge. But that is promising but also very unforgiving.

As a (now) occasional practicioner of the Alekhine, I agree. You can get smacked, hammered and grinded to pieces for missing some odd-looking critical move.

The risk for black is particularly in the Four Pawns attack and other variations with e5-d4-c4 grabbing a big center. I've had my share of losses, but the opening taught me quite a lot of hypermodern themes. I've fooled around with 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. f4 g5!?, which I believe is called Planinc Gambit (heard it being called Cambridge Gambit as well).
In most lines, it gives black good chances, unfortunately, I haven't found a way to make 6. fxg5 work for black.


Other than that, as e-pawn defenses go, it's one of the most original ones. You need to be resourceful as black.

I always thought the four pawns attack was the easiest of the variations to figure out as black. If there was any variation that was the point of the opening, it would be the four pawn attack.

Maybe so. It's still a challenge for players with more 'classic' instincts such as myself. It is the most critical line I should think.

It's odd, but there are so many white approaches I've seen. If I have to think about 'the' typical Alekhine line, I think about the Exchange line 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. exd6; I've played both cxd6 and exd6.

As with most of my ranting, it's largely based on feeling .

I tried Alekhines defence lately and thanks to ronaldino's post I know what I' supposed to do and if it's not that it's probably because I just pira....er...torr...er....bought....Nimzowitsch's "my system" and in the 1st 5 pages it stresses the importance of tempo.