Alekhine Defense: Four Pawns Attack
1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 · B03
Part of Alekhine Defense
Starting positionWhite to move
0 / 14
Four pawns need four defenders
- 1.
- 2.
- 3.
- 4.
- 5.
- 6.
- 7.
The idea
White pushes all four central pawns forward — the most aggressive answer to the Alekhine and the most dangerous to play badly.
Main line: 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.c4 Nb6 5.f4 dxe5 6.fxe5 Nc6 7.Be3 Bf5
What White wants
- Smother Black with the four pawns and attack on the kingside
- Defend the pawn chain with Be3, Nf3 and Be2
- Win before the pawns become weak
What Black wants
- Attack the pawn chain at its base and force trades
- Play ...dxe5, ...Nc6 and ...Bf5 and hit the overextended pawns
- Trade into an endgame where the white pawns are simply weak
Key idea
Understand this and the moves stop needing to be memorised.
Four pawns need four defenders
White's pawns on c4, d4, e5 and f4 control a huge amount of space, but the chain has a base on d4 and a head on e5 that both need pieces behind them. Black plays to overload those defenders.
Common mistake
Mistaking the four-pawn centre for a self-sufficient attack. Be3 and Nc3 in the example are sensible developing moves; White must keep bringing pieces into play, rather than push another pawn whenever Black challenges the centre.
Mistake example: e6.
Representative position
The position this opening is aiming at. Copy the FEN, or open it in the analysis board and let the engine tell you what it is worth.
r2qkb1r/ppp1pppp/1nn5/4Pb2/2PP4/4B3/PP4PP/RN1QKBNR w KQkq - 3 8
Analyze this position