Alekhine Defense: Mokele Mbembe, Modern Line
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Statistics from Lichess
3,010 games: White 53.1% / Draw 4.0% / Black 42.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 1,6471,647 | ||
| 661661 | ||
| 142142 | ||
| 140140 | ||
| 105105 | ||
| 8080 | ||
| 5454 | ||
| 2828 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 28, 2026
Engine evaluation
+2.17 White is clearly better
Best play: 4. Nh3 fxe5 5. dxe5 d6 6. Qf3 Bxh3 7. Qxh3 Qd7 8. e6 Qa4
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Alekhine Defense: Mokele Mbembe, Modern Line (ECO B02, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Alekhine Defense: Mokele Mbembe, reached after 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Ne4 3. d4 f6 (3 moves).
In 3,010 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 53.1%, Black 42.9% and 4.0% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. Bd3, in 55% 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: Mokele Mbembe, Modern Line
4. f3 scores best for White: 58.2%, with White winning 56.9% and Black 40.4% of 661 games. The most played answer, 4. Bd3, scores lowest: 55.0% in 1,647 games. Stockfish's first choice is 4. Nh3.
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Alekhine Defense: Mokele Mbembe, Modern Line (B02)”. Lichess data as of 28 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/alekhine-defense-mokele-mbembe-modern-line