Alekhine Defense 3…d6 4. c4
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Statistics from Lichess
2,113,583 games: White 44.6% / Draw 5.2% / Black 50.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 2,104,2402.1M | ||
| 5,0025,002 | ||
| 1,7621,762 | ||
| 888888 | ||
| 583583 | ||
| 174174 | ||
| 170170 | ||
| 164164 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 1, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.73 White is better
Best play: 4... Nb6 5. f4 dxe5 6. fxe5 Nc6 7. Be3 Bf5 8. Nc3 e6 9. Nf3
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
The stronger the players, the worse this line does for White: White scores 55% under 1400, 50% at 2200 and up and 57% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 53K | |
| 1400–1799 | 511K | |
| 1800–2199 | 1.4M | |
| 2200 and up | 336K | |
| Masters, over the board | 4,447 |
Master games
- Caruana, F. – Carlsen, M.
- Nakamura, H. – Carlsen, M.
- Erigaisi, A. – Abdusattorov, N.
- Leko, P. – Ivanchuk, V.
- Morozevich, A. – Nakamura, H.
Rated blitz, rapid and classical Lichess games by rating band, and over-the-board games of players rated 2200+ from the Lichess masters database, updated Sep 26, 2026
Overview
Alekhine Defense (ECO B03, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Alekhine Defense, reached after 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 (4 moves).
In 2,113,583 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 44.6%, Black 50.2% and 5.2% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 4…Nb6, in 100% of those games.
It branches into 4 named variations; the most played are Alekhine Defense: Exchange Variation and Alekhine Defense: Four Pawns Attack. In all, 13 named lines continue from it.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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Popularity by year
This line peaked in 2018 at 0.1% of Lichess games and has slipped since: 0.08% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.089% | 31,879 |
| 2017 | 0.1% | 55,808 |
| 2018 | 0.1% | 82,240 |
| 2019 | 0.095% | 118,839 |
| 2020 | 0.087% | 255,390 |
| 2021 | 0.075% | 293,075 |
| 2022 | 0.077% | 288,099 |
| 2023 | 0.08% | 300,334 |
| 2024 | 0.081% | 289,550 |
| 2025 | 0.08% | 276,697 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.078% | 85,838 |
Share of rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 (blitz, rapid and classical) that reach this position, by year; 2026: January to April. Which openings are rising and falling
Variations (4)
All 13 named lines that continue from here
- B03 Exchange Variation 5 moves
- B03 Four Pawns Attack 5 moves
- B03 Hunt Variation 5 moves
- B03 Modern Variation, Alekhine Gambit 6 moves
- B03 Karpov Variation 11 moves
- B03 Voronezh Variation 9 moves
- B03 Cambridge Gambit 5 moves
- B03 Fianchetto Variation 5 moves
- B03 Ilyin-Zhenevsky Variation 9 moves
- B03 Korchnoi Variation 10 moves
- B03 Main Line 7 moves
- B03 Trifunovic Variation 5 moves
- B03 Alekhine Defense: Four Pawns Attack, Tartakower Variation 11 moves
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Alekhine Defense (B03)”. Lichess data as of 1 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/alekhine-defense-4