Caissa Codex
D21

Queen's Gambit Accepted: Alekhine Defense, Borisenko-Furman Variation

Chess diagram: Queen's Gambit Accepted: Alekhine Defense, Borisenko-Furman Variation after 4. e4

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Statistics from Lichess

16,520 games: White 49.6% / Draw 4.7% / Black 45.6%

The moves played next. Pick one to see it on the board.
Next moveGamesWhite / Draw / BlackW / D / B
11,76212K
1,3511,351
1,2071,207
664664
441441
404404
218218
149149

Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 1, 2026

Engine evaluation

−0.03 The position is about equal

Best play: 4... b5 5. a4 Bb7 6. axb5 axb5 7. Rxa8 Bxa8 8. Nc3 e6 9. Nxb5

Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.

Overview

Queen's Gambit Accepted: Alekhine Defense, Borisenko-Furman Variation (ECO D21, Closed & Semi-Closed Games) is a gambit in the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Alekhine Defense, reached after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 a6 4. e4 (4 moves).

In 16,520 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.6%, Black 45.6% and 4.7% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 4…b5, in 71% of those games.

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How to play against the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Alekhine Defense, Borisenko-Furman Variation

The most played answer, 4…b5, also scores best for Black: 50.6%, with Black winning 48.1% and White 46.9% of 12K games. Of the main answers, 4…Bg4 scores lowest: 41.6%. Stockfish's first choice is also 4…b5.

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

Other lines from the same position

Instead of 4. e4, the position after Queen's Gambit Accepted: Alekhine Defense also goes on to:

Cite this page

Caissa Codex. “Queen's Gambit Accepted: Alekhine Defense, Borisenko-Furman Variation (D21)”. Lichess data as of 1 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/queens-gambit-accepted-alekhine-defense-borisenko-furman-variation

https://chesscodex.org/openings/queens-gambit-accepted-alekhine-defense-borisenko-furman-variation