The Complete Chess Course From Beginning To Winning Chess! (2016)

Book Seven

How to Play the e-pawn Openings

Alekhine’s Defense

This vehement counterattack is considered premature, as it leads to a difficult game for Black. After 1.e4, Black plays the dashing 1…Nf6. The idea is to provoke the advance of White’s center pawns to the point where they become weak. Actual practice has not borne out this attractive theory, and therefore this defense is best avoided in favor of some more solid line of play.

(a) Four Pawns’ Attack

Alekhine’s Defense

White - Black

1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.c4 Nb6 4.d4 d6 5.f4 dxe5

Black hopes to undermine White’s broad center. The attempt is destined to fail.

6.fxe5 Nc6 7.Be3 Bf5 8.Nc3 e6 9.Nf3 Qd7 10.Be2 0-0-0 11.0-0 (D)

Position after 11.0-0

The indicated pawn push 12.d5 has tremendous power, for example 11…Be7 12.d5! exd5 13.Bxb6 axb6 14.cxd5 Nb4 15.Nd4! g6 16.Nxf5 gxf5 17.Rxf5! Nxd5 (if 17…Qxf5 18.Bg4) 18.e6!! fxe6 19.Rxd5! exd5 20.Bg4 winning.

11…f6 12.exf6 gxf6 13.d5! Ne5 14.Bxb6 Nxf3+ 15.Bxf3! axb6 16.Nb5

White has a winning attack with Qa4. He has taken energetic advantage of the poor position of Black’s pieces.

(b) Three Pawns’ Variation

Alekhine’s Defense

White - Black

1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.c4 Nb6 4.d4 d6 (D)

Position after 4…d6

Now White decides to exchange pawns - a less aggressive but safer course than the one he followed in the previous variation.

5.exd6 exd6

Here 5…cxd6 is definitely inferior: 6.d5! g6 7.Be3! Bg7 8.Bd4! and the removal of the valuable fianchettoed bishop breaks the spine of Black’s position.

6.Nc3 Nc6 7.Be3 Be7 8.Bd3 0-0 9.Nge2! Bg4 10.0-0 Re8 11.h3 Bh5

White continues 12.Qd2, remaining with a freer and more promising position.

(c) Modern Variation

Alekhine’s Defense

White - Black

1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 (D)

Position after 4.Nf3

In this variation, White concentrates on quiet development. However, here too Black’s king knight ends up poorly posted at b6. This placement is definitely one of the drawbacks of the defense.

4…Bg4 5.Be2 Nc6 6.0-0 e6 7.c4 Nb6 8.exd6 cxd6 9.b3 Be7 10.Be3 0-0 11.Nc3 d5

Otherwise d4-d5 drives the queen knight away.

12.c5 Nd7 13.b4!

With his queenside majority of pawns White has a decided advantage. If Black tries 13…Nxb4 then 14.Rb1 recovers the pawn and leaves White with an even greater advantage - a passed c-pawn.