Alekhine Defense: Sämisch Attack
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Statistics from Lichess
639,150 games: White 50.8% / Draw 6.3% / Black 43.0%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 388,839389K | ||
| 111,235111K | ||
| 93,59194K | ||
| 39,13439K | ||
| 3,6813,681 | ||
| 1,0861,086 | ||
| 976976 | ||
| 273273 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 25, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.20 The position is about equal
Best play: 3... Nxc3 4. dxc3 d6 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. exd6 exd6 7. Be3 Be7 8. Qd2
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: White scores 55% under 1400, 53% at 2200 and up and 50% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 63K | |
| 1400–1799 | 97K | |
| 1800–2199 | 385K | |
| 2200 and up | 193K | |
| Masters, over the board | 702 |
Master games
- Predke, A. – Berkes, F.
- Demchenko, A. – Bortnyk, O.
- Zvjaginsev, V. – Savchenko, B.
- Nepomniachtchi, I. – Nakamura, H.
- Zvjaginsev, V. – Shimanov, A.
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: Sämisch Attack (ECO B02, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Alekhine Defense: Normal Variation, reached after 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. Nc3 (3 moves).
In 639,150 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 50.8%, Black 43.0% and 6.3% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 3…Nxc3, in 61% 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: Sämisch Attack
3…e6 scores best for Black: 47.5%, with Black winning 44.1% and White 49.0% of 94K games. The most played answer, 3…Nxc3, scores lowest: 45.7% in 389K games. Stockfish's first choice is 3…Nxc3.
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: Sämisch Attack peaked in 2018 at 0.032% of Lichess games and has slipped since: 0.025% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.024% | 8,499 |
| 2017 | 0.028% | 15,259 |
| 2018 | 0.032% | 24,820 |
| 2019 | 0.029% | 35,668 |
| 2020 | 0.026% | 76,111 |
| 2021 | 0.023% | 88,613 |
| 2022 | 0.023% | 86,689 |
| 2023 | 0.024% | 90,012 |
| 2024 | 0.025% | 88,782 |
| 2025 | 0.025% | 87,201 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.024% | 26,489 |
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: Sämisch Attack (B02)”. Lichess data as of 25 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/alekhine-defense-samisch-attack