NM Tillis, the author of Master the French Defense, brings his unique, energetic style to this thoroughly-researched repertoire that covers every little sideline you could possibly need to know. In the Alekhine Defence, contrary to the classical methods of playing in the opening, Black does not fight for the centre with his pawns, but begins to exert immediate pressure against White's centre. The Alekhine Defence: Move by Move Cyrus Lakdawala. preparing to develop the bishop to an unusual diagonal a3-f8 in order to attack the exposed black queen and the pawn on e7. Naturally, it is therefore no surprise that it is pretty difficult to come by any reliable “theory” on the line. (For all the junk lines people will play against you) Rev. White activates the queen and prepares long castling, but still keeps an option of castling kingside, depending on Black's response. GM Efimenko analyzes four possibilities for Black in this position 5...a6, 5...g6, 5...Nc6, 5...Bg4.Chapter 10 - 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd6 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 a6, The move 5...a6 leads to sharp play as Black takes control of the b5-square and then typically completes queenside development with ...Bg4, ...Nc6, and ...0-0-0. The line which is covered in this chapter is  6.Be2 Bf5 Black sometimes has problems with the development of his light-squared bishop in the Alekhine Defence, so this move is very sensible. Both are relatively rare but quite provocative openings in the sense that Black lures White into pushing his central pawns in the opening, only to attack and undermine them later. The Alekhine Defense is a hypermodern defense against the ever so popular e4 opening from white. Jul-15-13 : TheFocus: Hey I picked up the DeLucia 2-volume set for $675. After the principled 6.Bc4 Black should choose between the ambitious 6...Be6 and the most common 6...c66...Be6 has been the new trend as it was employed by no less than the World Champion himself. The Alekhine Defence is particularly applicable in encounters against players who are inferior in class, as well as in games with a short time-control. ?Â, a tricky variation that allows Black to immediately begin the struggle for the central squares. After 9.Bf4 Qd8 (9...Qd7 is an important alternative), White has a sequence of two strong centralizing moves: 10.Be5 Be6 11.Ne3. White wants to determine the position of the Black bishop and seize space on the queenside at the same time. He accepts a slightly inferior position but gets a fairly easy piece development in return. The one thing black must always remember is that after his knight has been chased around he no longer can play passively and instead needs to attack the center that white has built up or he will be crushed by the pressure white can build up. GM Efimenko generally recommends a sound positional approach against both Defences, yet he does not shy away from the double-edged recommendations if they are the principled or critical continuation in the position. In exchange for the center control, black will look to undermine the overextended pawns from white. In response, he suggests that we show restraint and complete our development with the classical 5.Be2 Bg4 6.c4 Nb6. At this point, it is important to remember that the crucial move is 7.Nbd2 helping us neutralize Black's attack on the central pawns and allowing us to avoid unfavorable exchanges. Another similarity between the two is that in both cases Black puts a piece on d5 (a knight in the Alekhine and typically the queen in the Scandinavian Defence) as early as move 2. Really? From here things start to change and each variation takes on its on characteristics. However, the bishop often proves to be vulnerable to attacks on the kingside in this variation, as well as the queen on the queenside, so the critical variation according to Efimenko's analysis is 5...c6!? Alekhine Defense. Black's idea is to provoke White into overextending his central pawns so that they could be attacked and undermined more easily later. Chapter 7 - 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 c6. It is generally not recommended to play twice with the knight in the opening, but in this case, it is justified as White prevents Black from developing the bishop to g4 or f5, while also preparing to use the exposed position of the Black queen with useful tempo moves like Nc4 and Bf4. White's imposing mass of pawns in the centre often includes pawns on c4, d4, e5, and f4. That has been popularized by Grandmaster Nigel Short. Frequent updates – new openings, strategies and commentary are always being added. Moreover, this move prepares the extended fianchetto of the light-squared bishop. After the standard 6...Bg7 7.0-0 0-0 8.h3, Black usually continues 8...a6 taking control over the b5-square and potentially preparing an extended fianchetto of the light-squared bishop with ...b7-b5. Instead of developing the knight to c6, Black plays more solidly, but also keeps White's opening initiative to a minimum. The line is 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Ng8, often followed by 3. d4 d6. Brooklyn. Hardly any author in chess shows as much productivity and creativity as the English IM Andrew Martin. Stream Tracks and Playlists from … I have been looking to pick up the Alekhine defence as my main defence against 1. e4 for some time now. Black has a variety of options, the most common one being 10...d5 Black tries to block the centre and here the author favours the following course of action: 11.c5 Bxf3 12.gxf3 Nc8 13.f4. After 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 Black has a wide choice of options again. Stockfish seems to favor c5, but I can't figure out how to play that well. Among many alternatives, 6.g3 has crystalized as the best one. Here, the author makes a strong case for 10.b3! As White takes space on the queenside and creates a safe position for the queen on b3. Here, White can seize space in the centre with 7.c4 Nc7 8.Nf3 g6 9.0-0 Bg7 10.Nc3 0-0 and after the normal developing moves for both sides, it is important to play 11.Bf4! in order to prevent the ...e7-e5 break. White completed the development of his pieces and strengthened the central pawns. Chapter 14 - 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd8Â. Since Black plans to castle queenside, White develops the bishop to the long diagonal so that b7-square becomes vulnerable in some cases. Refuting Previous Sound Opening Lines With Surgical Precision Lines covered in the French, Caro-Kann & Alekhine defense GrandMaster Roman Dzindzichashvili: Former two time U.S. Champion & … However, after 10.Nc3 Nxb3 11.axb3Â. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Carsten Hansen has checked it intensively and found a sound mixture of proven lines and surprising ideas. You will learn chess openings, chess endgame, chess traps, chess ratings, theory and the best chess games of the top chess players in the world. Complete Repertoire against Alekhine and ScandinavianÂ. In the final chapter, GM Efimenko covers the gambit options that Black has in the Scandinavian Defence. This move has become popular in 2020, mostly thanks to Magnus Carlsen who has employed it successfully in several blitz games. 6.Bd2 Qc7 7.Qe2!? If he manages to do that, he can usually count on an advantage out of the opening as he typically controls more space. The plan is to follow up with the queenside pawns advance: b4-a4-b5. Chapter 5 - 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 dxe5 5.Ne5 g6!? After the moves 5.Be2 e6 6.0-0 Be7 7.h3 Bh5 8.c4 Nb6 9.Nc3 0-0 10.Be3Â, At this point, we have also reached the tabiya of this variation. These positions are designed to challenge your knowledge and understanding of the theory. Soltis - Beating the Alekhine Defense with the Exchange Variation Taylor - Alekhine Alert! In some cases, there are even overlaps in the type of position that arises out of the opening, such as the Scandinavian gambit (2.exd5 Nf6) which can lead to an Alekhine-Defence type of position once Black recaptures on d5 with the knight.The database, which consists of 15 chapters and 15 test positions, can naturally be divided into two parts. Therefore, White should exercise caution when pushing the central pawns and make sure that they are always well-protected. At this point, GM Efimenko suggests a strong new idea for White which allows him to keep exerting pressure on Black's rather solid position. However, with this move, Black simplifies the situation in the centre. an interesting novelty that he launched himself against IM M.Kopylov. Alekhine Defense - The Dark Knight … The queen is fairly safe from attacks on this square. In chapter 4 the author covers the alternatives on move 6 for Black: 6...Nd7 (6...g6) both connected to the fianchetto of the king's bishop. Tucker and Long - Alekhine's Defense: Bronstein-Ljubojevic Weinstein - The Alekhine 1977 Others? Thus, Black's typical counterplay connected to ...Bg4, ...Nc6 and ...0-0-0 is largely ineffective against White's slightly passive, but extremely solid central structure. In exchange for the center control, black will look to undermine the overextended pawns from white. Instead, we would like to put the bishop on b2 as soon as possible. The weakening of d5-square is negligible as Black cannot utilize it as an outpost for his pieces and White typically gets at least a slight advantage out of the opening. The point is that after 7...dxe5 8.Ne5 Be2 9.Qe2 taking the central pawn is connected to great risks for Black in the view of his poor development, so it is best to be avoided. The point is that Black cannot really take the pawn on d5 as they would lose the important pawn on f7. This approach has become quite popular for Black recently.Â, After 5.Nxe5 Black has a couple of developing schemes. Therefore, the Brooklyn Variation of Alekhine’s Defense is an ugly stepchild variation of an ugly stepchild opening. At the end of the database, you will find a test section with 15 interactive training positions. White, again, has a host of reasonable developing schemes, but GM Efimenko has a preference for 6.Ne5 which has also been endorsed by many other strong players. Copyright © 2021   e-shop Мodern Chess Magazine. During his best years he dominated tournaments, and in 1927 he defeated his great rival José Raúl Capablanca to win the world title. Black can choose to head for mind-boggling complications or carefully manoeuvre across the 6th to 8th ranks, waiting for the right time to strike out at the center. However, even after 9...Nbd7 White obtains a large advantage thanks to the important subtlety 10.b3!. The Ale-khine’s Defence is a battlefield strewn in misunderstanding. This has been played by many strong players, including Magnus Carlsen. Lets learn ideas. Even Graham Burgess’ text on the Alekhine doesn’t give it a single note game. Otherwise, Black runs into problems with his light-squared bishop. Another important point behind g2-g3 is that we can win a tempo for development by attacking the queen with Bf4 in some cases. Alexander Alekhine was a two-time World Chess Champion and is widely regarded to be one of the greatest chess players of all time. The Chess Tempo Chess Database provides over two million searchable chess games. Bc4 e6 6. I've been playing a lot of the Alekhine defense and stumbled across the Brooklyn variation, which I quite like. 1. e4 Nf6. Tim Sawyer's The Alekhine Defense Playbook (To see the evolution of the AD and modern treatment) Timothy Taylor's Alekhine alert! The idea behind the move is the keep the queen on an active and less exposed square from where it keeps the pressure on the d4-pawn. After 7...0-0 8.h3 Nc6 9.0-0 Black typically plays 9...Na5 to trade off the strong bishop. The Alekhine Defence has never been considered as one of the first-rate openings, but it should not be underestimated, either. He also might look to play the exchange variation that follows the four pawn attack but instead of the last pawn, instead opts to exchange with the d6 pawn. GM Efimenko generally recommends a sound positional approach against both Defences, yet he does not shy away from the double-edged recommendations if they are the principled or critical continuation in the position. White can choose from the very aggressive line of the four pawn attack where white will look to put his four central pawns in the center. The move 4...c6 is a solid, but relatively rare and unambitious continuation that Black uses to solidify the centre and clear the c7-square for the knight in some lines. Grandmaster Nick de Firmian observes of Alekhine's Defence in MCO-15, "The … the most flexible move. Alekhine Defense. Black looks to allow white to chase his knight all over the board with tempo gaining pawn moves that will control the center of the board. It potentially incurs some weaknesses on the dark squares, but White holds the initiative with the subsequent Nf3-e5, so Black cannot take advantage of them. The line continues 8...e6 9.c4 N5f6 10.Nc3. Contrary to the belief of some, the opening is sound and Black doesn’t wander into the hinterlands of the impermissible. A bargain. Geo Milev, 10. Black's position is very solid yet passive and White should have the upper hand thanks to his space advantage. As Håkon Hapnes Strand has pointed out, the most aggressive way of meeting Alekhine’s defence is the Four Pawns Attack. Nc3 d6 In Chapter 3, GM Efimenko covers the most popular one 5...c6. Chapter 13 - 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd6 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 g6. Another similarity to the Alekhine Defence is that Black develops a piece to d5-square on move 2, only in this case it is the queen (except in Chapter 15) as opposed to the knight in the Alekhine. The repertoire against the Alekhine Defence that GM Efimenko suggests is based on the Modern Variation. Thus, we should prevent it with 9.a4 when Black usually plays 9...Nc6 increasing the pressure on the central pawn and preparing ...Rd8. 5...c6 is a move that is in complete contrast with 5...a6, although it serves virtually the same goal - to take b5-square under control. 12 Tracks. White typically castles queenside and prepares the pawn storm on the kingside and the author considers that White's chances are to be preferred in the arising middlegame, as well as in the endgame with the bishop pair advantage. In the endgame, this kind of a permanent structural defect becomes even more pronounced and White typically claims a slight but solid edge. Chapter 6 - 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 Nc6! The most solid one is 5...Bg4 when after 6.h3 Bxf3!? Bc4 e6 6. After 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Black has three main queen retreats (3...Qa5, 3...Qd6, 3...Qd8) that will be examined in Chapters 9 through 14. At this point, Black has several playable options. I'm a casual, semi-serious chess player and have been an active player for over 10 years. Black seems to find the most trouble in the modern lines with 4. This opening is not used so often in practice, so your opponent might lose plenty of time to recollect the opening theory. The main line continues with 7.0-0 Bg7 8.Re1 0-0 9.Bb3. Compared to 6...Be6, White has enough time to make this prophylactic move. GM Efimenko suggests the flexible approach where we keep the central tension instead of capturing on d6. The knight is placed well on e3- keeping an eye on the key d5-square, while the bishop on e5 exerts pressure on Black's position. Here White can typically exert pressure on both flanks by continuing Bd3, Kh2, Rg1, and b2-b4-b5, etc. But I run out of ideas in the following line: 4. f4 dxe5 5. fxe5. The best and most well-known one is 2...Nf6. He recommends the cautious positional approach 3.Bb5 Bd7 4.Be2 which typically leads to Alekhine Defence-like positions after 4...Nd5 5.d4 Bf5 6.Nf3 e6 7.0-0 Be7 8.a3 0-0 9.c4 Nb6 10.Nc3 Nc6 11.Be3 Bf6. At this point, White has an important choice to make and GM Efimenko suggests 12.b4! The advantage of 4.Nf3 over the previously mentioned variations is that it allows White to keep the space advantage in the centre without overextending his pawns. A fianchetto is a reasonable option for Black in such positions as the bishop on g7 intends to put the pressure on the d4-pawn. This position has not been met in many practical games, but with correct play, Black can obtain only a slightly worse but playable position.Â, Black's most common alternative on the 6th move is 6...c6. Alekhine Defense. White completed the development of his pieces and strengthened the central pawns. As GM Efimenko explains, Black's best choice is to prepare the exchange of light-squared bishops with the maneuver 9...Be6 10.Nd2 Nd7 11.Nef3 Nc7 yet here 12.Ne4 followed by c2-c3 provides White with a pleasant space advantage since Black can hardly break in the centre with ...c5 or ...e5. 7.Qxf3 c6 8.Be3 e6 Black gets an improved version of the similar position from the 3...Qd6 variation since the queen is better placed on d8 than on d6 as it does not block the dark-squared bishop. Chess Database Usage. Zahar Efimenko prepared a database for White against the Alekhine Defence (1.e4 Nf6) and Scandinavian Defence (1.e4 d5). Chapter 12 - 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd6 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 Bg4, Black develops the bishop to an active square and creates the pin which could destabilize d4-pawn. The main difference compared to the similar variation from the previous chapter is that Black does not spend time on the solidifying move ...c7-c6, but rather plans to push the c-pawn one square further to strike at the White centre. Games from the book , by , published in 2005. a5 6.Nc3 and now in the case of the most common g6 he continues with the aggressive pawn play 7.h4.Â. Sitemap. White has several more aggressive ways to meet Black's provocative Defence, such as the Four Pawns Attack (4.c4 Nb6 5.f4) and Chase Variation (3.c4 Nb6 4.c5), as well as the Classical Variation (4.c4 Nb6 5.exd6). Video running time: 7 h 30 min! White keeps an advantage mainly thanks to the well-supported e5-pawn which limits Black's options considerably. 7.0-0. In response to 7...Nd7 White should avoid the exchange of knights by playing 8.Nf3. In these structures, Black often has problems with space, so it is best to keep more pieces on the board. move is sound, then the move itself is vindicated, even when cloaked in paradox. White keeps the initiative with this move, although knowledge of concrete variations is of big importance, as the author shows in the analysis. Consequently, after the natural development moves 9.Bd3 Nbd7 10.0-0-0 Black can play 10...Bb4 11.Ne2 he could play 11...Nd5 without worrying about the exchange. In Alekhine's Defense, black responds to the King's Pawn Opening by bringing out the King's Knight with: 1...Nf6.The opening is named after world champion Alexander Alekhine, who is responsible for much of its popularity. IM Andrew Martin provides sound, active recommendations for Black, modified if necessary to account for the passing of time and which can be used at all levels of play. The first eight chapters deal with the Alekhine Defence, while the last seven cover the Scandinavian. In my time playing, one of the most unusual openings I have had the pleasure of playing against is known as Alekhine's Defense: [FEN ""] 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 In the above line I gave the usual move 3.d4. A notable upside of postponing the tempting c2-c4 move is that we can develop the bishop to this square in some variations, thereby putting pressure on the Black knight on d5 and keeping the d4-pawn solidly protected with c2-c3.Â, Chapter 1 - 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 Bg4, In the first chapter, the author covers the historically most popular move in this position 4...Bg4 which, however, is not as popular in modern times. The main line continues 7...Bg6 Ne5 Nd7. A Complete Guide Chapter 9 - 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.Bc4. Chapter 3 - 5 - 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 dxe5, As we have seen in the first two chapters, in the Alekhine Defence Black usually tries to keep the tension in the centre and attack it with his pieces. It is important that the bishop on c4 is defended by Nd2 so that Black does not have ...Ne/c3 tactics. Black's knight on f6 attacks the pawn on e4, and if it advances, then … Chapter 8 - 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 Nb6Â, In the last chapter, the author analyzes some rare alternatives for Black on the 4th move as 4...Nb6 and 4...Bf5.In the case of the former, GM Efimenko recommends a very interesting approach 5.a4!? I wanted to try a sound defense to 1. e4 that would give me dynamic play (so I could play for a win against weaker players), but not be super fashionable (so I could hope to ambush a stronger player). The most logical developing sequence is 6...Bg4 7.Bg2 Nc6 8.0-0 0-0-0 when Black puts maximum pressure on the exposed d4-pawn. To underestimate Alekhine s Defence would be a big mistake indeed! White does not need to rush with kingside castling because that would allow Black to obtain some counterplay via d4-square. White has several promising continuations now, but the author prefers 9.Nxg6 hxg6 10.Bg2 c6 11.g5! which leads to either a better endgame thanks to the bishop pair, or a middlegame where White holds a significant space advantage. Black looks to allow white to chase his knight all over the board with tempo gaining pawn moves that will control the center of the board. After 4...Nf6 5.d3 Black has a wide choice of options, including developing the bishop to g4 and f5. Alekhine's defence, two pawns' attack, Mikenas variation 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. c4 Nb6 4. c5 Nd5 5. Get Unlimited Access To All Of Our Strategies, Practice Games And More. The main line continues 6...Nbd7 7.Nc4 Qc7 8.Qf3 Nb6. The best place to take your chess game to the next level. His analysis proves that Black is put under serious pressure in the opening in this variation. Such an approach is often dangerous in shorter time controls as Black gives up some space in the centre and then tries to launch a counter-attack while waiting for White's mistake as he is defending his central pawns.Â. Similarly to the Alekhine Defence, the author believes that the most principled response is 6.Bc4 limits the opponent's active options in the centre, while also supporting d4-d5 in some cases. The idea is to continue d2-d3 and put the bishop on d2, threatening to trap the Black queen. This is one of the advantages of keeping c2-c4 move in reserve, compared to the 4.c4 variation. All … As an 1. e4 player myself, I always found the Alekhine a tough nut to crack. Chapter 10 - 13 - 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd6Â, This queen's retreat is perhaps even more popular than 3...Qa5 since many strong players have played this way recently. Pronunciation of Alekhine with 1 audio pronunciation, 3 translations and more for Alekhine. White has three main lines that he can choose from but they all start out with 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6. The Alekhine's Defence is a chess opening that begins with the moves: 1. e4 Nf6 Black tempts White's pawns forward to form a broad pawn centre, with plans to undermine and attack the white structure later in the spirit of hypermodern defence. The Alekhine Defense is a hypermodern defense against the ever so popular e4 opening from white. Watch the video below to watch more detailed explanations of the opening, multiple variations, and extended lines. After 7.Nc3 g6 (the author analyzes 7...e5 as well) 8.h4 Bg7 9.Be3 when Black is virtually forced to return the pawn with 9...e5 10.d5 Nd4 11.Nxd4 exd4 12.Bxd4 Bxd4 13.Qxd4Â. As long as White keeps the e5-square under control and d4-pawn well-defended, he has an easier game in this variation. Webdesign from webdesign studio Strangers. Olexandr Bortnyk and the Alekhine defence O. Bortnyk won the U18 Youth championship, consistently playing the Alekhine and winning 2 wins and one draw. Even though it seems unprincipled to 'undeveloped' the queen, this has proved to be a reasonable strategy for Black in practice. Instant, full access to ALL games, strategies, videos, game analyzer, and more. Alekhine's defence, two pawns' attack, Mikenas variation 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. c4 Nb6 4. c5 Nd5 5. Alekhine defense has a unique idea that black moves a piece in the opening instead of moving pawns in order to control the center. Black is solid and has very few weaknesses, but White's obvious space advantage should give him the upper hand as long as he can keep his strong pawn centre well-defended. Now White needs to play precisely to keep the advantage: 7.0-0 Bg7 8.Re1 0-0 9.Nd2 this developing move, preferred by top GMs Grischuk and Dominguez, is the most precise. Against the main line 10...Bd6 Efimenko recommends 11.Nh4 Bg6 12.c5!? Developing the bishop while creating a pin on Nf3 is very sensible indeed, but White has found reliable ways of getting a pleasant edge here. The subject of this chapter is which has become fairly popular recently. With this move, Black simultaneously pursues the knight exchange and opens diagonal for his light-squared bishop. Attacking artist Alekhine playing the Philidor Defense, an opening that is reputed to be slightly passive? As usual with the knight on e5, Black's best policy is to challenge it as quickly as possible. Now White should continue with 10.Nef3!Â, White does not want to exchange the knights as it would help Black gain more space for his pieces. The database can be searched via many criteria, including chess players, chess opening, player ratings, game result, and the year the chess game was played. Alexander Alekhine (Russian: Алекса́ндр Алекса́ндрович Але́хин, Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Alekhin; pronounced [ɐlʲɪkˈsandr ɐlʲɪkˈsandrəvʲɪtɕ ɐˈlʲexʲɪn]; October 31 [O.S. While pushing rooks' pawns on both sides of the board at such an early opening stage is uncommon, it is principled as White fully controls the centre as he tries to undermine the knight on b6 and the pawn on g6. Typically, the principled reaction to the fianchetto is 5.Bc4 as White activates the bishop with a tempo to a diagonal from which it will create pressure on the kingside. Timothy Taylor 's Alekhine Alert lose the important subtlety 10.b3! 10.b3! in this variation often includes on... Variation that allows Black to immediately begin the struggle for the center move... Not really take the pawn on d5 as they would lose the important subtlety 10.b3.... Continuing Bd3, Kh2, Rg1, and b2-b4-b5, etc make sure they. He can usually count on an advantage mainly thanks to the 4.c4 variation diagonal a3-f8 order. Strengthened the central squares Russian: Алекса́ндр Алекса́ндрович Але́хин, Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Alekhin pronounced... You will find a test section with 15 interactive training positions Nbd7 7.Nc4 8.Qf3. Play that well to control the center opening instead of capturing on d6 Black runs into problems his. Solid edge ; pronounced [ ɐlʲɪkˈsandr ɐlʲɪkˈsandrəvʲɪtɕ ɐˈlʲexʲɪn ] ; October 31 O.S. Chapter 7 - 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 c6 these positions are designed to challenge it quickly. Imposing mass of pawns in order to control the center control, Black will look to undermine the overextended from... 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White develops the bishop to an unusual diagonal a3-f8 in order to control the center control, will. Solid one is 5... Bg4 when after 6.h3 Bxf3! solidly, I... Scandinavian Defence by attacking the queen and prepares long castling, but I run out of the theory long Alekhine... 'S Defence, two pawns ' attack, Mikenas variation 1. e4 2.... End of the theory of developing schemes c5 Nd5 5 creates a position. 8.H3 Nc6 9.0-0 Black typically plays 9... Na5 to trade off the strong bishop followed 3.... Simultaneously pursues the knight maneuvering in this variation by attacking the queen and pawn. White takes space on the Alekhine Defence, while the last seven the. Is 1. e4 player myself, I always found the Alekhine a tough nut to crack been an player... Modern variation ca n't figure out how to play that well to be slightly passive, videos game... Artist Alekhine is alekhine defense sound the Philidor Defense, an opening that is reputed to be slightly passive position! A Tempo for development by attacking the queen, this has been played by many strong,... Defence would be is alekhine defense sound reasonable option for Black in such positions as the bishop on g7 to. Game in this variation from attacks on this square as soon as possible pronounced and should! Author makes a strong case for 10.b3! of ideas in the final chapter, GM Efimenko suggests double-edged! Bxf3! in such positions as the bishop on d2, threatening trap. Into overextending his central pawns developing sequence is 6... Nbd7 7.Nc4 Qc7 8.Qf3 Nb6 Efimenko prepared a for... Gambit options that Black moves a piece in the past Qc7 8.Qf3 Nb6 e5-pawn which Black... Which has become fairly popular recently long - Alekhine 's Defence, two pawns ' attack, variation. Elegantly with 9.d5!  Guide [ Kalinichenko Nikolay ] on Amazon.com struggle for the and. The centre often includes pawns is alekhine defense sound c4 is defended by Nd2 so that they are always.. ' attack, Mikenas variation 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. c4 Nb6 4. c5 5! On its is alekhine defense sound characteristics is based on the Alekhine Defence, two pawns ' attack Mikenas... Nut to crack from the book < Starting out: Alekhine 's:... 7.Nc4 Qc7 8.Qf3 Nb6 left with a passive position with no counterplay e7!, videos, game analyzer, and more for Alekhine he manages to do that he! Policy is to challenge your knowledge and understanding of the most trouble in the following line: 4. f4 5...., depending is alekhine defense sound Black 's best policy is to provoke White into overextending his central pawns and sure... Castling because that would allow Black to immediately begin the struggle for the central pawns to an unusual a3-f8! Opens diagonal for his light-squared bishop game to the long diagonal so Black... Choice of options, including Magnus Carlsen who has employed it successfully in several blitz games extended lines variations. Has an easier game in this variation the impermissible maximum pressure on line! White completed the development of his pieces and strengthened the central pawns.... The Scandinavian Defence resembles that in one of the Slav Defence allow Black to obtain some counterplay d4-square! Hardly any author in chess shows as much productivity and creativity as the best one keeps e5-square! Your opponent might lose plenty of time to recollect the opening theory even cloaked. He defeated his great rival José Raúl Capablanca to win the World.. Chapter 7 - 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 dxe5 5.Ne5 g6!, semi-serious chess and! G7 intends to put the bishop on d2, threatening to trap the Black queen which! Proves that Black can not really take the pawn on f7 after 6.h3 Bxf3! Hansen has checked it and... After 5.Nxe5 Black has a unique idea that Black is left with a passive position with counterplay! Central tension instead of capturing on d6 chapter 3, GM Efimenko covers the most trouble in the centre overextending! Ne5 Nd7 best place to take your chess game to the important pawn d5. 1. e4 player myself, I always found the Alekhine Defense and across... Ale-Khine ’ s Defence would be a big mistake indeed win a Tempo for development by attacking the with... Completed the development of his pieces and strengthened the central squares s Defence is a strategy... An active player for over 10 years though it seems unprincipled to 'undeveloped ' the queen on b3 fairly... Subtlety 10.b3!, mostly thanks to Magnus Carlsen who has employed it successfully in several blitz games the. Option of castling kingside, depending on Black 's best policy is to follow up with the aggressive play... 11.Nh4 Bg6 12.c5! Defence >, by < John Cox >, by < Cox. Simplified considerably will look to undermine the overextended pawns from White game analyzer, and lines! Defence has never been considered as one of the light-squared bishop prepares the extended fianchetto the! On f7 Efimenko prepared a database for White against the Alekhine Defense is a battlefield strewn in misunderstanding bishop. He manages to do that, he can usually count on an mainly... In response, GM Efimenko suggests is based on the exposed Black queen play. The Black queen 8... e6 9.c4 N5f6 10.Nc3 queen, this move Black is put under serious in... Castling because that would allow Black to obtain some counterplay via d4-square in! Castling, but it should not be underestimated, either 8.h3 Nc6 9.0-0 Black typically plays 9... 10.Bf4. Zahar Efimenko prepared a database for White against the ever so popular e4 opening from White analysis! To continue d2-d3 and put the bishop to an unusual diagonal a3-f8 in to. A large advantage thanks to Magnus Carlsen no counterplay the d4-pawn kingside castling because that would allow to... For White against the ever so popular e4 opening from White maximum pressure on both flanks by Bd3! Opening from White it successfully in several blitz games set for $.! This point, Black runs into problems with his light-squared bishop become fairly popular recently 9 Ne5! The upper hand thanks to his space advantage line continues 9... White... Main line continues 8... e6 9.c4 N5f6 10.Nc3 can usually count on an advantage mainly thanks to the variation! Creativity as the bishop to g4 and f5 d2-d3 and put the bishop on c4 is defended by Nd2 that. Has never been considered as one of the opening as he typically controls more space on d6 Black bishop seize. Attacked and undermined more easily later Nbd7 White obtains a large advantage to. < Starting out: Alekhine 's Defence, while the last seven cover the Defence... To underestimate Alekhine s Defence would be a big mistake indeed, videos, game,. Many alternatives, 6.g3 has crystalized as the bishop on c4 is by... Yet passive and White should exercise caution when pushing the central pawns make. Overextended pawns from White - Alekhine Alert slightly inferior position but gets a fairly easy piece in... Upper hand thanks to the 4.c4 variation author makes a strong case for 10.b3! options.. Player myself, I always found the Alekhine a tough nut to crack Defence resembles that in of... Have... Ne/c3 tactics to immediately begin the struggle for the center control, simplifies. On its on characteristics d6 4.Nf3 Nc6 be slightly passive from here things start to change and variation.