Indian Defense: Budapest Defense, Alekhine Variation

The Indian Defense: Budapest Defense, Alekhine Variation is a chess opening characterized by sharp play and tactical opportunities for both sides.

The opening is a branch of the Indian Defense, specifically the Budapest Defense, which arises after the moves 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5. The Alekhine Variation is reached after 3. dxe5 Ng4 4. e4, where White aims to maintain their pawn center and challenge Black's active knight on g4. This variation is named after the former World Chess Champion Alexander Alekhine, who contributed significantly to its development.

In this opening, Black sacrifices a pawn early on to activate their pieces and create immediate threats against White's position. White, on the other hand, tries to consolidate their extra pawn and develop their pieces harmoniously to counter Black's aggressive play.

The Alekhine Variation is considered to be one of the more aggressive and ambitious ways for White to meet the Budapest Defense. It can lead to sharp tactical battles, as both sides have chances to create threats and exploit weaknesses in the opponent's position.

While not as popular as some other openings, the Indian Defense: Budapest Defense, Alekhine Variation has been played by many strong players throughout history, including Alekhine himself, as well as more recent grandmasters like Richard Rapport and Baadur Jobava.

Overall, this opening is an exciting and challenging choice for players who enjoy sharp tactical battles and are willing to take risks in the opening phase of the game.