Alekhine Defense: Modern Variation

The Modern Variation is 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3, the most common variation of the Alekhine Defense. As in the Exchange Variation, White settles for a modest space advantage and expects to keep it.

Main lines

• 4...Bg4, pinning the knight, is the most common reply. White usually answers 5.Be2. Black often gives up the bishop pair with ...Bxf3, since the knight is a strong piece and taking it undermines White's centre pawns. Lev Alburt, Vlatko Kovačević and Vladimir Bagirov have championed this line.
• 4...g6 prepares a fianchetto against White's central pawns. It was played in the 13th game of the 1972 match between Boris Spassky and Bobby Fischer; the 19th game featured 4...Bg4. White usually replies 5.Bc4, the Keres Variation.
• 4...dxe5, the Larsen Variation, removes the advanced pawn but brings White's knight forward after 5.Nxe5.
• 4...c6 is passive but solid and gives a position that is hard to attack.

In most variations Black can still play ...Bg4 later and transpose to the 4...Bg4 line.

A sacrifice in the Larsen Variation

After 4...dxe5 5.Nxe5 Nd7 White can play 6.Nxf7 Kxf7 7.Qh5+ Ke6. The sacrifice is at least good enough for a draw after 8.Qg4+. Bent Larsen tried 8...Kd6? against Fischer at the Santa Monica blitz tournament in 1966 and lost quickly after 9.c4, so Black should accept the perpetual check with 8...Kf7 9.Qh5+ Ke6. To avoid the sacrifice Black can play 5...g6 or 5...c6 first and challenge the knight with ...Nd7 only later.

The numbers

On Lichess the results are level: White and Black each win 47.0% of the 1.6 million games. Under 1400 White leads 52.7% to 43.4%; between 1800 and 2199 Black is ahead, 47.7% against 46.7%; from 2200 up White leads again, 48.1% against 44.1%. In 9,805 master games over the board White won 38.8%, Black 22.3%, and 38.9% were drawn.