Alekhine Defense: Modern Variation, Larsen Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
322,187 games: White 47.2% / Draw 6.5% / Black 46.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 208,226208K | ||
| 108,693109K | ||
| 3,0663,066 | ||
| 1,2511,251 | ||
| 691691 | ||
| 8686 | ||
| 6363 | ||
| 4646 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.56 White is slightly better
Best play: 5. Nxe5 c6 6. Be2 Bf5 7. O-O Nd7 8. Nf3 e6 9. c4 N5f6
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 better this line does for Black: Black scores 44% under 1400, 49% at 2200 and up and 43% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 43K | |
| 1400–1799 | 96K | |
| 1800–2199 | 170K | |
| 2200 and up | 95K | |
| Masters, over the board | 2,628 |
Master games
- Anand, V. – Mamedyarov, S.
- Karjakin, S. – Kamsky, G.
- Anand, V. – Carlsen, M.
- Grischuk, A. – Nakamura, H.
- Kasparov, G. – Short, N. D.
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: Modern Variation, Larsen Variation (ECO B04, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Alekhine Defense: Modern Variation, reached after 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3 dxe5 (4 moves).
In 322,187 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.2%, Black 46.2% and 6.5% were drawn. White's most played move here is 5. Nxe5, in 65% 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: Modern Variation, Larsen Variation
The most played answer, 5. Nxe5, also scores best for White: 52.4%, with White winning 49.0% and Black 44.2% of 208K games. Of the main answers, 5. dxe5 scores lowest: 46.9%. Stockfish's first choice is also 5. Nxe5.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White'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: Modern Variation, Larsen Variation has lost ground since 2016: 0.011% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.014% (its peak: 0.017% in 2018).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.014% | 4,974 |
| 2017 | 0.015% | 8,362 |
| 2018 | 0.017% | 13,200 |
| 2019 | 0.015% | 18,665 |
| 2020 | 0.014% | 41,313 |
| 2021 | 0.012% | 47,025 |
| 2022 | 0.012% | 45,217 |
| 2023 | 0.012% | 45,042 |
| 2024 | 0.012% | 42,735 |
| 2025 | 0.011% | 38,757 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.011% | 12,239 |
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Alekhine Defense: Modern Variation, Larsen Variation (B04)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/alekhine-defense-modern-variation-larsen-variation