B03
Alekhine Defense
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6
In the Alekhine Defense, aim to understand the plans and pawn structures, not just memorize the first moves.
The Alekhine Defense is a chess opening classified under ECO code B03. It is reached after the moves 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6: 6 moves in, with White to play.
Learn its typical plans and pawn structures rather than memorizing moves — that’s what holds up over the board.
Dozens of named variations branch from this position; the list at the end of the page goes one move deeper into each.
Play the Alekhine Defense? See where you go wrong.
Deepline reviews your real games, finds the exact moves that cost you, and trains the fixes.
Analyze my games free →Variations of the Alekhine Defense
- Chase Variation1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. c4 Nb6 4. d4
- Brooklyn Variation1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Ng8
- Brooklyn Variation, Everglades Variation1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Ng8 3. d4 f5
- Buckley Attack1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. Na3
- Hunt Variation, Lasker Simul Gambit1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. c4 Nb6 4. c5 Nd5 5. Bc4 e6 6. Nc3
- Hunt Variation, Matsukevich Gambit1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. c4 Nb6 4. c5 Nd5 5. Nc3 Nxc3 6. dxc3 d6 7. Bg5
- Hunt Variation, Mikenas Gambit1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. c4 Nb6 4. c5 Nd5 5. Bc4 e6 6. Nc3 d6 7. Nxd5 exd5 8. Bxd5
- Kmoch Variation1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. Bc4 Nb6 4. Bb3 c5 5. d3
- Krejcik Variation1. e4 Nf6 2. Bc4
- Krejcik Variation, Krejcik Gambit1. e4 Nf6 2. Bc4 Nxe4 3. Bxf7+
- Maroczy Variation1. e4 Nf6 2. d3
- Mokele Mbembe1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Ne4
- Mokele Mbembe, Modern Line1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Ne4 3. d4 f6
- Mokele Mbembe, Vavra Defense1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Ne4 3. d4 e6
- Normal Variation1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5
- Scandinavian Variation1. e4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5
- Scandinavian Variation, Geschev Gambit1. e4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5 3. exd5 c6
- Scandinavian Variation, Myers Gambit1. e4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5 3. d3 dxe4 4. Bg5
- Spielmann Gambit1. e4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5 3. e5 Nfd7 4. e6
- Steiner Variation1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. c4 Nb6 4. b3
- Saemisch Attack1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. Nc3
- The Squirrel1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. c4 Nf4
- Two Pawns Attack1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. c4
- Two Pawns Attack, Lasker Variation1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. c4 Nb6 4. c5
- Two Pawns Attack, Mikenas Variation1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. c4 Nb6 4. c5 Nd5 5. Bc4 e6 6. Nc3 d6
- Two Pawns Attack, Tate Variation1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. c4 Nb6 4. a4
- Welling Variation1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. b3
- Samisch Attack1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. Nc3
- Balogh Variation1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Bc4
- Exchange Variation1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. exd6
- Exchange Variation, Karpov Variation1. 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
- Exchange Variation, Voronezh Variation1. 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
- Four Pawns Attack1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. f4
- Four Pawns Attack, Cambridge Gambit1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. f4 g5
- Four Pawns Attack, Fianchetto Variation1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. f4 g6
- Four Pawns Attack, Ilyin-Zhenevsky Variation1. 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
- Four Pawns Attack, Korchnoi Variation1. 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
- Four Pawns Attack, Main Line1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. f4 dxe5 6. fxe5 Nc6 7. Be3
- Four Pawns Attack, Tartakower Variation1. 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
- Four Pawns Attack, Trifunovic Variation1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. f4 Bf5
Related openings
Alekhine DefenseAlekhine Defense: Chase VariationAlekhine Defense: Brooklyn VariationAlekhine Defense: Brooklyn Variation, Everglades VariationAlekhine Defense: Buckley AttackAlekhine Defense: Hunt Variation, Lasker Simul GambitAlekhine Defense: Hunt Variation, Matsukevich GambitAlekhine Defense: Hunt Variation, Mikenas GambitAlekhine Defense: Kmoch VariationAlekhine Defense: Krejcik Variation