Alekhine Defense: Scandinavian Variation

The Scandinavian Variation of the Alekhine Defense is 1.e4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5. White declines to chase the knight with 2.e5 and defends e4 instead, and Black answers by striking at the centre with the d-pawn. 2.Nc3 is by far White's most common alternative to 2.e5; the author Cox saw it in over half his games with the Alekhine.

3.exd5

After 3.exd5 Nxd5 4.Bc4, the replies 4...Nb6 and 4...Nxc3 are considered roughly equal, while 4...e6 is solid but blocks in the light-squared bishop. 4.g3 has been played by the Danish correspondence player Ove Ekebjaerg.

3.e5

More combative is 3.e5, when Black can choose among 3...d4, 3...Nfd7, 3...Ne4 and even 3...Ng8. 3...Nfd7 transposes to the Steinitz Variation of the French Defense after 4.d4 e6, though 4.e6 is a sharp alternative. After 3...d4 play can go 4.Nce2 Ng4, or 4.exf6 dxc3 5.fxg7 cxd2+, which leads to quick castling for White.

Reputation

Most grandmasters play 2.e5 against the Alekhine, but Jonny Hector regularly plays 2.Nc3 and has scored well against 2...d5. His ideas have left White with a theoretical edge, so textbook authors on the Alekhine, including Davies, Cox and Taylor, have encouraged 2...e5 instead, which can transpose to the Vienna Game or the Four Knights Game.

The numbers

On Lichess Black wins 50.6% of the 4.5 million games and White 43.5%. Under 1400 the order is reversed, 48.6% for White against 46.5%, and from 2200 up the results are close, 46.7% for Black against 45.2%. In 2,054 master games over the board 38.8% were drawn, White won 32.5% and Black 28.8%.