Alekhine's Defence

In the Alekhine Defence (after Alexander Alexandrovich Alekhine ) is an opening of the chess game. The Alekhine Defence is one of the half- open games.

Each of its main variants begins with the moves:

1 e2- e4 - f6 Ng8

Opening variations

The main varieties are now produced according to the most common sequel 2 e4 - e5, with attack on the Springer and space savings. After 2 ... Nf6 -d5 ( disuse in the knight moves Nf6 -e4 Nf6 - g8 and are ) to divide the variants as follows:

• Hunting variant: 3 c2 - c4 - b6 Sd5 4 c4 - c5
• Modern version: 3 d2 -d4 d7 - d6 4 Sg1 -f3
• Four Pawns Attack: 3 d2 -d4 d7 - d6 4 c4 c2 - Nd5 - b6 5 f2 - f4
• Exchange Variation: 3 d2 -d4 d7 - d6 4 c4 c2 - Nd5 - b6 5 e5xd6

Quieter white sequels in the second train are:

• Scandinavian style: 2 Nb1 - c3 2 ... d7 -d5 (after e7 - e5 the game goes through diverter in the Vienna Game over ) and now: 3 e4 e5 or
• 3 e4xd5

ECO - system

The Encyclopedia of Chess Openings (ECO) has four key ( B02 to B05 ) for the Alekhine Defense:

• B02: 1 e2- e4 Ng8 - f6 (without 2 e4 e5 2 e4 e5 2 ... Nf6 -d5 without, 2 ... Nf6 -d5 -d4 d2 without 3 )
• B03: 1 e2- e4 Ng8 - f6 e4 e5 2 Nf6 -d5 3 d2 -d4 (without 3rd ... d7 - d6, d7 - d6 3 ... no 4 Sg1 -f3 )
• B04: 1 e2- e4 Ng8 - f6 e4 e5 2 Nf6 -d5 3 d2 -d4 d7 - d6 4 Sg1 -f3 ( Modern version without ... 4 Bc8 - g4)
• B05: 1 e2- e4 Ng8 - f6 e4 e5 2 Nf6 -d5 3 d2 -d4 d7 - d6 4 Sg1 -f3 - g4 Bc8 ( Modern version with 4 ... Bc8 - g4)

History

The idea to provoke the knight maneuver Ng8 - f6 - d5 b6 an opponent's pawn storm was known already in the 19th century, but for a long time no one took the new opening thoughts.

Only after Alekhine during a consulting role with Donegan, Müller and Zimmermann tried this opening in August 1921 in Zurich and introduced it in the same year at the International Chess Tournament in Budapest against Frederick Sämisch and Endre Steiner in the tournament practice, the idea was more popular and has been further investigated.

The preparation of the system goes back to the Moscow Games Master Mikhail Kljazkin (1897-1926), the Alekhine met several times before his emigration from Russia. Soviet authors called it first " defense of Moscow ", Savielly Tartakower baptized in his theory works Hyper Modern Chess Game (1925 ) " Kljazkin - Alekhine Defence ," later became the name of the first explorer of the system into oblivion.

Opening idea

The idea of ​​defense is to figure attacking the white pawn chain in the center. But also significant disadvantages must be taken into account. The king Springer removed usually far from his king and thus has only a slight protective function. In general, Black has, due to the white pawn chain, settle for less space.

White has space advantage and the freer character game, which is why he is often able to stage a direct attack on the enemy king. Black, however, also has its trump cards. Due to the advance of the white farmers (particularly in the Four Pawns Attack ) is created behind the peasant a kind of vacuum line and White remains as a result of its many pawn moves in the character development. This time can use the black, to attack the far advanced center with counter-attacks as d7 - d6 and c7 - c5. Then usually it is possible to dissolve the white pawn center and to compensate for the position.

Through these opposites often develops a rich and interesting game with complex and content-rich middlegame positions.