Alekhine Defense: Exchange Variation, Voronezh Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
107,521 games: White 52.6% / Draw 7.0% / Black 40.5%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 60,29260K | ||
| 19,45119K | ||
| 13,92714K | ||
| 3,5173,517 | ||
| 2,8122,812 | ||
| 1,8631,863 | ||
| 1,4351,435 | ||
| 1,0891,089 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.39 White is slightly better
Best play: 9... e5 10. Nf3 Nc6 11. Be2 Bg4 12. dxe5 dxe5 13. O-O h6 14. c5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Alekhine Defense: Exchange Variation, Voronezh Variation (ECO B03, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Alekhine Defense: Exchange Variation, reached after 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. exd6 cxd6 6. Nc3 g6 7. Be3 Bg7 8. Rc1 O-O 9. b3 (9 moves).
In 107,521 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 52.6%, Black 40.5% and 7.0% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 9…Nc6, in 56% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Alekhine Defense: Exchange Variation, Voronezh Variation
9…Bf5 scores best for Black: 49.5%, with Black winning 45.8% and White 46.9% of 14K games. The most played answer, 9…Nc6, scores lowest: 41.2% in 60K games. Stockfish's first choice is 9…e5.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Alekhine Defense: Exchange Variation, Voronezh Variation (B03)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/alekhine-defense-exchange-variation-voronezh-variation