Alekhine Defense: Krejcik Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
422,482 games: White 43.5% / Draw 4.0% / Black 52.5%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 219,269219K | ||
| 54,56855K | ||
| 53,02653K | ||
| Bishop's Opening: Berlin Defense | 41,40041K | |
| 28,53129K | ||
| 8,4768,476 | ||
| 5,6345,634 | ||
| 5,5835,583 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
−1.04 Black is better
Best play: 2... Nxe4 3. Bxf7+ Kxf7 4. Qh5+ Kg8 5. Qd5+ e6 6. Qxe4 d5 7. Qe3
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 51% under 1400, 46% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 819K | |
| 1400–1799 | 420K | |
| 1800–2199 | 214K | |
| 2200 and up | 13K | |
| Masters, over the board | 22 |
Master games
- Ivanovic, B. – Kovacevic, V.
- Valner, U. – Hellers, F.
- Orlov, A. – Kopylov, M.
- Kontic, D. – Laketic, G.
- Vuckovic, B. – Golubovic, B.
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 27, 2026
Overview
Alekhine Defense: Krejcik Variation (ECO B02, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Alekhine Defense, reached after 1. e4 Nf6 2. Bc4 (2 moves).
In 422,482 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 43.5%, Black 52.5% and 4.0% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 2…Nxe4, in 52% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, Alekhine Defense: Krejcik Variation, Krejcik Gambit.
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: Krejcik Variation
The most played answer, 2…Nxe4, also scores best for Black: 57.2%, with Black winning 55.2% and White 40.9% of 219K games. Of the main answers, 2…e5 scores lowest: 48.5%. Stockfish's first choice is also 2…Nxe4.
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
Popularity by year
The Alekhine Defense: Krejcik Variation has stayed between 0.015% and 0.018% of Lichess games a year since 2016 (0.015% in 2025).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.018% | 6,429 |
| 2017 | 0.016% | 8,984 |
| 2018 | 0.015% | 12,041 |
| 2019 | 0.016% | 19,584 |
| 2020 | 0.017% | 49,032 |
| 2021 | 0.017% | 68,025 |
| 2022 | 0.017% | 63,811 |
| 2023 | 0.016% | 61,860 |
| 2024 | 0.016% | 57,786 |
| 2025 | 0.015% | 52,789 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.014% | 15,729 |
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 (1)
Transpositions
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Alekhine Defense: Krejcik Variation (B02)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/alekhine-defense-krejcik-variation