Chess Opening Secrets Revealed*: Chess: Understanding Alekhine's Defense Part I

1 e4 Nf6 2 e5 Nd5 3 d4 d6 4 Nf3 Bg4 5 Be2 e6
6 O-O Be7 7 c4 Nb6 8 Nc3 O-O 9 Be3 d5 10 c5 Bxf3
11 gxf3 Nc8 12 f4 Nc6 13 b4 a6 14 Rb1 f6 15 Bd3 Qe8
16 Qg4 f5 17 Qh3 Line

What's the game plan for White?

What's the game plan for Black?

1 e4

(i) Staking a claim on d5 and f5.
(ii) Enabling the development of the Queen
and f1 bishop along the diagonals d1-h5 and
f1-a6 respectively.

1 ... Nf6

Striking out at the e4 pawn and initiating
Alekhine's Defense. Black wants to lure
White's center forward in order to fix
and, later, to sabotage it.

2 e5

Gaining ground and attacking the knight.

2 Nc3
2 d3
2 Bc4
2 d4
2 c4
2 Nf3
2 f3
2 Qf3
2 Qe2

2 ... Nd5

(i) Evades capture by the pawn.
(ii) Centralizes the knight.
Now it eyes four squares within enemy
territory (b4, c3, e3, f4) as opposed
to the earlier two (e4, g4).

2 ... Ng8
2 ... Ne4

3 d4

White solidifies e5 and makes way for the c1 bishop's
mobilization along the diagonal c1-h6.

3 c4
3 Nc3
3 Nf3
3 Bc4
3 d3
3 g3
3 Be2
3 b3
3 Qf3

3 ... d6

Pressurizing e5 and making way for the c8 bishop's
development along the c8-h3 diagonal.

3 ... Nb6
3 ... c5
3 ... c6
3 ... g6
3 ... Nc6

4 Nf3

Reinforcement for e5 and d4.

4 c4
4 Bc4
4 f4
4 Be2
4 exd6
4 g3

4 ... Bg4

Pinning the knight to the Queen and consequently
negating its e5 and d4 influence.

4 ... g6
4 ... dxe5
4 ... c6
4 ... Nb6
4 ... Nc6
4 ... Bf5

5 Be2

White hurriedly breaks the pin. Also, he enables
kingside castling.

5 c4
5 exd6
5 h3
5 Bc4

5 ... e6

(i) Secures d5 and scopes out f5.
(ii) Allows the f8 bishop to mobilize to e7.

5 ... Nc6
5 ... Nb6
5 ... dxe5
5 ... g6
5 ... c6 6 O-O Bxf3 7 Bxf3 dxe5 8 dxe5 e6 9 c4 Ne7
10 Qxd8+ Kxd8 11 Be4 Nd7 12 f4 Nf5 13 g4 Bc5+ 14 Kg2 Ne3+
15 Bxe3 Bxe3 16 g5 Bd4 17 Nd2 Kc7 18 Rab1 Nc5 19 Bc2.
5 ... c6 6 O-O Bxf3 7 Bxf3 dxe5 8 dxe5 e6 9 c4 Ne7
10 Qxd8+ Kxd8 11 Be4 Nd7 12 Bf4 Ng6 13 Bxg6 hxg6 14 Nc3 Rh5
15 Rad1 Ke8 16 g4 Rh4 17 f3.
5 ... c6 6 O-O Bxf3 7 Bxf3 dxe5 8 dxe5 e6 9 c4 Ne7
10 Qxd8+ Kxd8 11 Be4 Nd7 12 Bf4 Ng6 13 Bxg6 hxg6 14 Nc3 Ke8
15 Rad1 Be7 16 Ne4 Rh5 17 g4 Rxe5 18 Bxe5 Nxe5 19 b3.
5 ... c6 6 O-O Bxf3 7 Bxf3 dxe5 8 dxe5 e6 9 c4 Ne7
10 Qxd8+ Kxd8 11 Be4 Nd7 12 Bf4 Ng6 13 Bxg6 hxg6 14 Nc3 Ke8
15 Rad1 Be7 16 Ne4 Rh5 17 g4 Rxe5 18 Bxe5 Nxe5 19 b3.
5 ... c6 6 O-O Bxf3 7 Bxf3 dxe5 8 dxe5 e6 9 c4 Ne7
10 Qxd8+ Kxd8 11 Be2 Nd7 12 f4 Nf5 13 Nc3 Bc5+ 14 Kh1 h5
15 Ne4 Bd4 16 Bd2 Nc5 17 Nxc5.
5 ... c6 6 O-O Bxf3 7 Bxf3 dxe5 8 dxe5 e6 9 Qe2/ 9 Nd2/
9 Re1/ 9 b3.

6 O-O

King safety is always a priority!

6 h3
6 c4

6 ... Be7

6 ... Nc6
6 ... a6
6 ... Nb6

7 c4

Finally, White takes another swipe at the forward knight.

7 h3
7 exd6
7 Nc3

7 ... Nb6

Because capture is not an option. However, the knight's
range is diminished; it now eyes only two squares within
White's camp (a4, c4).

8 Nc3

Development towards e4, d5, and b5.

8 h3
8 exd6
8 Be3
8 Nbd2

8 ... O-O

Black secures his King before embarking on any
ventures.

8 ... Nc6

9 Be3

Covering d4 a third time.

9 h3
9 exd6
9 b3
9 Re1

9 ... d5

Black resolves the e5 tension by advancing and
threatening White's c4 pawn. Please observe how
c4 is attacked twice but protected only once.

9 ... Nc6
9 ... a5
9 ... a6
9 ... N8d7
9 ... dxe5

10 c5

Prevents 10 ... dxc4 and threatens the b6 knight.

10 cxd5

10 ... Bxf3

Compromising White's pawn structure since 11 Bxf3
allows the attacked b6 knight to ensconce itself on
c4 (11 ... Nbc4).

11 gxf3

11 Bxf3

11 ... Nc8

11 ... N6d7
11 ... Nc4

12 f4

(i) Availing the bishop of the d1-h5 diagonal.
(ii) Setting up for an attack against the base
of Black's central pawn chain (f4-f5).

12 b4
12 Kh1

12 ... Nc6