Alekhine Defense

A hypermodern chess opening, it provokes the opponent's pawns forward to create weaknesses for later exploitation.

The opening is named after the fourth World Chess Champion, Alexander Alekhine, who introduced it in the 1920s. It is a hypermodern defense, meaning that it aims to control the center of the board with pieces rather than pawns. The opening is characterized by the provocative move of the knight to f6, inviting the opponent to advance their central pawn to e5, attacking the knight.

The knight then typically retreats to d5 or e4, and Black aims to undermine the advanced pawn structure that White has created. This can lead to a variety of pawn structures and imbalances, making the opening a rich and complex choice with many possible transpositions and move orders.

The main lines include the Four Pawns Attack, the Modern Variation, and the Exchange Variation. Each of these lines has its own unique characteristics and strategic ideas, offering a wide range of options for both White and Black.

The opening is considered somewhat offbeat and is not as popular as other defenses to 1.e4, such as the Sicilian Defense or the French Defense. However, it can be a dangerous weapon in the hands of a well-prepared player, as it often leads to unbalanced positions and sharp tactical battles.

Grandmasters who have employed this opening with success include former World Champions Anatoly Karpov and Garry Kasparov, as well as other top players like Tony Miles and Bent Larsen.