Developing a piece only to undevelop it next turn isn’t very appealing! Alekhine's Defense, Krejcik Variation 1.e4 ♘f6 2.♗c4 What a strange opening.I have never even considered gambitting a pawn like that. The Problem of the Hated Exchange Variation I played Alekhine’s Defence all through the 1980’s and 90’s, only to abruptly give it up in the early part of the next decade. White’s enormous space advantage is menacing, but after 5…dxe5 6. fxe5 Nc6 7. Tucker and Long - Alekhine's Defense: Bronstein-Ljubojevic Weinstein - The Alekhine 1977 Please feel free to add to the list! Show All. Sign up today to receive your FREE Move-by-Move Guide to Chess Thinking pdf! Nc3 d6 The question was about Alekhine opening theory: Why does black play 2...Nd5 and not 2...Ne4 against e5 Why is this main-line? Even Graham Burgess’ text on the Alekhine doesn’t give it a single note game. Developing a piece only to undevelop it next turn isn’t very appealing! Alekhine's defence, two pawns' attack, Mikenas variation 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. c4 Nb6 4. c5 Nd5 5. I want to know if any current day top players play this opening so that I can study their games for improvement. This book makes no reference to this dubious variation. Alekhine's defence, two pawns' attack, Mikenas variation 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. c4 Nb6 4. c5 Nd5 5. I am avid player of chess and love writing and researching the beautiful game. White takes all the space he can get, and seeks to make black regret conceding the fight for central space! After white proceeds with their strategy of central occupation with 3. d4, black should play 3..d6 and begin tearing down the enormous white center – before black is suffocated by it. The question was about Alekhine opening theory: Why does black play 2...Nd5 and not 2...Ne4 against e5. The Mokele Mbembe is certainly an odd variation and has an even odder origin. Of these ten tournament and match games Alekhine won seven, drew two … click for larger view. Alekhine's Defense: Scandinavian Variation - Chess Openings - Chess.com Play Alekhine Defence or Alekhine's Defence? Nc3 g6 7. Bc4 e6 6. The Alekhine Defense is a chess opening to counter White's first move 1.e4. You may never see it again! A game by Napoléon Bonaparte from the 19th century shows the oldest known example of Alekhine's Defense being employed in a game. The name of the variation was given in an opening book by Eric Schiller. Opening book: NM Tillis reveals a set of carefully chosen lines that simplify this hard to tame opening choice into a playable repertoire you can trick White with. The Alekhine’s Defence is a defense when white plays against 1.e4. Keep pawn chain connected. Nc3 d6 White has many ways to get a quite pleasant position against it. Instead black often plays 5…e6, content to finish their development. 2…Ne4 would be very dangerous – the knight is in danger of being trapped. – The Brooklyn Variation of the Alekhine Defense – has been played by World Champion Magnus Carlsen in a speed game, but for obvious reasons it has never been a popular choice. Apr-10-11 : keypusher: It's not really a gambit. Too Short - Extra Moves (.e.g 45...Nf3 46.Bxf3): Too Long - Finish Move (e.g. Black often pins this knight with 4…Bg4, but white can respond with 5. Won't the same thing happen with it going to Ne4? For example,  after 10…exd5 11. cxd5 Nb4 12. Black allows White to overextend his pawns so he can then attack them from a distance. Please Enter Problem Details. The game may continue 5…cxd6 (the other recapture 5…exd6 is also played often) 6. Further to this, in true "hypermodern-style," surely it is black's intention to encourage white to make these pawn moves to then be able to launch a counter-attack with his pieces? Nf3 Be7 9. Soltis - Beating the Alekhine Defense with the Exchange Variation Taylor - Alekhine Alert! Be2. Or a GM might use it against a really lower rated player. But the real challenge to the idea of the Alekhine Defense comes after 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5. However, some observant players among you may argue: If that is true, surely doesn't the main-line Nd5 have the same problem? Bc4 e6 6. My first initial response to this question was simply: "Well white will gain some tempo on the knight and gain control of the centre." Black’s idea is quite provocative. Nc3 e6 8. The pawn structure even looks like a pitchfork early in the game! Now white can either play 10. Bc4 e6 6. Alekhine Defence - Exchange Variation: 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.c4 Nb6 5.exd6. Exchange variation White’s Plans. It can often be advantageous to exchange pieces when cramped, but the immediate …Bxf3 would give white a strong light bishop on the long diagonal. Alekhine Defence or Alekhine's Defence? If you ever meet this variation make sure to take a picture! White also has some less-common sidelines with an early Bc4 – based around some tricks involving tactics on the f7 square – but black can defend with accurate play. This has been very popular for white as of late – white simply maintains the strong point on e5 and continues with development. The hated Exchange Variation with 1 e4 Ìf6 2 e5 Ìd5 3 d4 d6 4 c4 Ìb6 5 exd6. After 9…Nc6, white puts their central pawns to use by playing 10. d5 Ne5 11. Nf3 Be7. On closer inspection, this Conganese legend is likely to have just been a miss-sighted Hippopotamus! The Grünfeld Defence is a variation of the King’s Indian in which black still wishes to push their pawn to g6, leading to a fianchetto’d bishop, but black more quickly plays d5 to challenge the center. Black provokes white into extending into his territory, and now black is going to try to tear down the white center! 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