Alekhine Defense: Mokele Mbembe
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Statistics from Lichess
336,201 games: White 53.7% / Draw 3.3% / Black 43.1%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 125,555126K | ||
| 92,37992K | ||
| 21,80022K | ||
| 18,31818K | ||
| 16,50317K | ||
| 14,48114K | ||
| 14,14314K | ||
| 10,07510K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+2.05 White is clearly better
Best play: 3. d4 e6 4. Nh3 h6 5. Qg4 d5 6. f3 h5 7. Qf4 g5
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 38% under 1400, 47% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 582K | |
| 1400–1799 | 332K | |
| 1800–2199 | 175K | |
| 2200 and up | 13K | |
| Masters, over the board | 14 |
Master games
- Grosar, A. – Sermek, D.
- Sanduleac, V. – Shkuro, I.
- Baramidze, D. – Buecker, S.
- Haring, F. – Jablonicky, M.
- Moroz, A. – Vavra, P.
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: Mokele Mbembe (ECO B02, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Alekhine Defense, reached after 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Ne4 (2 moves).
In 336,201 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 53.7%, Black 43.1% and 3.3% were drawn. White's most played move here is 3. d4, in 37% of those games.
It branches into 2 named variations; the most played are Alekhine Defense: Mokele Mbembe, Vavra Defense and Alekhine Defense: Mokele Mbembe, Modern Line.
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: Mokele Mbembe
3. d3 scores best for White: 57.8%, with White winning 56.1% and Black 40.5% of 92K games. The most played, 3. d4, scores 55.4% in 126K games, and 3. f3 scores lowest: 49.1%. Stockfish's first choice is 3. d4.
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: Mokele Mbembe has lost ground since 2016: 0.013% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.019%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.019% | 6,707 |
| 2017 | 0.015% | 8,018 |
| 2018 | 0.015% | 11,713 |
| 2019 | 0.015% | 18,778 |
| 2020 | 0.013% | 36,748 |
| 2021 | 0.013% | 49,854 |
| 2022 | 0.012% | 46,097 |
| 2023 | 0.013% | 47,897 |
| 2024 | 0.013% | 47,016 |
| 2025 | 0.013% | 44,202 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.012% | 12,998 |
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 (2)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Alekhine Defense: Mokele Mbembe (B02)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/alekhine-defense-mokele-mbembe