Alekhine Defense: Four Pawns Attack

The Four Pawns Attack, 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.c4 Nb6 5.f4, is White's most ambitious line against Alekhine's Defense. It is perhaps the variation that best shows the idea behind the defence: Black lets White gain time attacking the knight and build an apparently imposing pawn centre, in the belief that the centre can later be destroyed.

Origins

Alekhine's Defense is named after Alexander Alekhine, who introduced it at the 1921 Budapest tournament in games against Endre Steiner and Fritz Sämisch.

The idea

The game can become very sharp, since White must either secure an advantage in space or make use of it before Black succeeds in striking at the centre. Black must play vigorously, because passive play will be crushed by the white centre. Advancing further is often undesirable for White: c5 can give the black knight the d5 outpost, and d5 usually weakens e5. Black's main target is d4, but the c4-pawn can also come under considerable pressure via ...Na5.

Main lines

• 5...dxe5 6.fxe5 Nc6 attacks d4. 7.Be3 is the main line; 7.Nf3 allows 7...Bg4!, when the pressure on d4 is very tough. Play continues 7...Bf5, developing before ...e6, 8.Nc3 e6 9.Nf3, protecting e5 and preparing a possible d5. The main line is 9...Be7, preparing ...f6 to break up White's centre.
• White used to answer 9...Be7 automatically with 10.d5, which can lead to complex and sharp play. The more recent 10.Be2 O-O 11.O-O f6 12.exf6 Bxf6 13.Qd2 Qe7 14.Rad1 Rad8 15.Kh1! is the plan from Robson–Naroditsky, which White won in 48 moves.
• 5...g5!? is the sharp Planinc Variation, also known as the Cambridge Gambit. If White slips with 6.fxg5?, 6...dxe5 wrecks White's centre and pawn structure.
• 5...g6 is the Fianchetto Variation, and 5...Bf5 the Trifunovic Variation.

Strengths and weaknesses

For White

• Space, time gained against the knight and a big pawn centre.

For Black

• Clear targets: the d4-pawn and, via ...Na5, the c4-pawn, and the ...f6 break.

Against White

• The Four Pawns Attack is not particularly popular, because many White players are wary of entering a sharp tactical line that Black may have prepared.

Who should play it

The Four Pawns Attack suits White players who are happy to enter sharp, heavily analysed lines in return for a large space advantage.

The numbers

In 1,736,074 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 and 2500, Black won 51.9%, White 43.6%, and 4.5% were drawn. Under 1400 White is ahead, 53.6% against 43.8%; from 1400 up Black leads: 49.9% against 46.8% at 1400–1799, 52.9% against 42.7% at 1800–2199 and 48.1% against 45.4% from 2200 up. In about 1,400 master games White won 38.9%, Black 25.4%, and 35.6% were drawn.