Caissa Codex
B03

Alekhine Defense: Four Pawns Attack, Ilyin-Zhenevsky Variation

Chess diagram: Alekhine Defense: Four Pawns Attack, Ilyin-Zhenevsky Variation after 9. c5

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Statistics from Lichess

1,139 games: White 59.2% / Draw 5.3% / Black 35.6%

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Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 25, 2026

Engine evaluation

−0.34 Black is slightly better

Best play: 9... Nd5 10. Bb5 Qd7 11. Nbd2 g6 12. h3 Bxf3 13. Nxf3 Bg7 14. Bd2

Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.

Overview

Alekhine Defense: Four Pawns Attack, Ilyin-Zhenevsky Variation (ECO B03, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Alekhine Defense: Four Pawns Attack, reached after 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. f4 dxe5 6. fxe5 Nc6 7. Nf3 Bg4 8. e6 fxe6 9. c5 (9 moves).

In 1,139 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 59.2%, Black 35.6% and 5.3% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 9…Nd5, in 78% of those games.

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How to play against the Alekhine Defense: Four Pawns Attack, Ilyin-Zhenevsky Variation

9…Bxf3 scores best for Black: 50.9%, with Black winning 47.2% and White 45.5% of 176 games. The most played answer, 9…Nd5, scores lowest: 36.0% in 888 games. Stockfish's first choice is 9…Nd5.

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

Other lines from the same position

Instead of 5…dxe5 6. fxe5 Nc6 7. Nf3 Bg4 8. e6 fxe6 9. c5, the position after Alekhine Defense: Four Pawns Attack also goes on to:

Cite this page

Caissa Codex. “Alekhine Defense: Four Pawns Attack, Ilyin-Zhenevsky Variation (B03)”. Lichess data as of 25 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/alekhine-defense-four-pawns-attack-ilyin-zhenevsky-variation

https://chesscodex.org/openings/alekhine-defense-four-pawns-attack-ilyin-zhenevsky-variation