Alekhine Defense: Two Pawns Attack, Tate Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
272,386 games: White 46.0% / Draw 4.1% / Black 49.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 132,978133K | ||
| 112,703113K | ||
| 18,78619K | ||
| 3,0223,022 | ||
| 1,7621,762 | ||
| 1,2861,286 | ||
| 712712 | ||
| 676676 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 27, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.15 The position is about equal
Best play: 4... a5 5. d4 d6 6. Nf3 dxe5 7. Nxe5 N6d7 8. f4 Nxe5 9. fxe5
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 worse this line does for White: White scores 55% under 1400, 50% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 19K | |
| 1400–1799 | 106K | |
| 1800–2199 | 170K | |
| 2200 and up | 32K | |
| Masters, over the board | 42 |
Master games
- Lu, S. – Bu, X.
- Firman, N. – Neverov, V.
- Hauge, L. O. – Agdestein, S.
- Smeets, J. – De Jager, J.
- Firman, N. – Bernadskiy, V.
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: Two Pawns Attack, Tate Variation (ECO B02, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Alekhine Defense: Two Pawns Attack, reached after 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. c4 Nb6 4. a4 (4 moves).
In 272,386 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 46.0%, Black 49.9% and 4.1% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 4…a5, in 49% 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: Two Pawns Attack, Tate Variation
4…d5 scores best for Black: 53.9%, with Black winning 52.1% and White 44.3% of 19K games. The most played, 4…a5, scores 52.9% in 133K games, and 4…d6 scores lowest: 52.1%. Stockfish's first choice is 4…a5.
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: Two Pawns Attack, Tate Variation has gained ground since 2016: 0.013% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.0081%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.0081% | 2,888 |
| 2017 | 0.011% | 6,106 |
| 2018 | 0.011% | 8,875 |
| 2019 | 0.0095% | 11,902 |
| 2020 | 0.0091% | 26,581 |
| 2021 | 0.0089% | 34,756 |
| 2022 | 0.0095% | 35,756 |
| 2023 | 0.01% | 38,585 |
| 2024 | 0.012% | 41,236 |
| 2025 | 0.013% | 45,558 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.014% | 15,014 |
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: Two Pawns Attack, Tate Variation (B02)”. Lichess data as of 27 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/alekhine-defense-two-pawns-attack-tate-variation