41 Alekhine Defense Variations by ECO Codes


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The Alekhine's Defense chess opening has 41 official variations by the ECO code classification (ECO stands for Encyclopedia of Chess Openings). The ECO codes of the Alekhine's Defense include B02-B05. Below you can find a full list of 41 official variations of the Alekhine's Defense with ECO codes B02, B03, B04, B05.

Note 1. Being an official variation of the Alekhine's Defense does not mean that the variation in question is common in play.
Note 2. The B02 Alekhine Defense line 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 is called "The Main line."
Note 3. The links below will help you learn how to correctly play the main variations of the Alekhine's Defense, which are the most common (including the PGN file).

Alekhine's Defence PGN File - Games 2019

ECO codes B02-B05 begin with the following moves:
B02: 1.e4 Nf6
B03: 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 (including Exchange variation and Four Pawns Attack)
B04: 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 (Modern variation without 4...Bg4)
B05: 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 Bg4 (Modern variation with 4...Bg4)

Alekhine's Defence Variations


Below is the main picture of the Alekhine's Defence.
B02 Alekhine's Defence
1. e4 Nf6
B02 Alekhine Defense variations
Analyzed by chess engine: White is slightly better (+0.64).
B02 Alekhine's defense, Scandinavian variation
1. e4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5

How to Play the Scandinavian Variation B02

B02 Alekhine's defense, Spielmann variation
1. e4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5 3. e5 Nfd7 4. e6
B02 Alekhine's defense, Maroczy variation
1. e4 Nf6 2. d3
B02 Alekhine's defense, Krejcik variation
1. e4 Nf6 2. Bc4
B02 Alekhine's defense, Mokele Mbembe (Buecker) variation
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Ne4
B02 Alekhine's defense, Brooklyn defence
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Ng8
B02 Alekhine's defense, "The Main line"
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5
B02 Alekhine's defense, Kmoch variation
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. Bc4 Nb6 4. Bb3 c5 5. d3
B02 Alekhine's defense, Saemisch attack
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. Nc3
B02 Alekhine's defense, Welling variation
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. b3
B02 Alekhine's defense
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. c4
B02 Alekhine's defense, Steiner variation
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. c4 Nb6 4. b3
B02 Alekhine's defense, two pawns' (Lasker's) attack
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. c4 Nb6 4. c5

How to Play the Two Pawns Attack Variation B02

B02 Alekhine's defense, two pawns' attack, Mikenas variation
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. c4 Nb6 4. c5 Nd5 5. Bc4 e6 6. Nc3 d6

B03 Alekhine's defense, 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4
B03 Alekhine Defense variations
Analyzed by chess engine: Position is equal (+0.37).
B03 Alekhine's defense, O'Sullivan gambit
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 b5
B03 Alekhine's defense
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6
B03 Alekhine's defense, Balogh variation
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Bc4
B03 Alekhine's defense
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4
B03 Alekhine's defense, exchange variation
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. exd6

How to Play the Exchange Variation B03

B03 Alekhine's defense, exchange, Karpov variation
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. exd6 cxd6 6. Nf3 g6 7. Be2 Bg7 8. O-O O-O 9. h3 Nc6 10. Nc3 Bf5 11. Bf4
B03 Alekhine's defense, four pawns attack
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. f4

How to Play the Four Pawns Attack Variation B03

B03 Alekhine's defense, four pawns attack, Korchnoi variation
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. f4 dxe5 6. fxe5 Bf5 7. Nc3 e6 8. Nf3 Be7 9. Be2 O-O 10. O-O f6
B03 Alekhine's defense, four pawns attack, 6...Nc6
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. f4 dxe5 6. fxe5 Nc6
B03 Alekhine's defense, four pawns attack, Ilyin-Genevsky variation
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. f4 dxe5 6. fxe5 Nc6 7. Nf3 Bg4 8. e6 fxe6 9. c5
B03 Alekhine's defense, four pawns attack, 7.Be3
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. f4 dxe5 6. fxe5 Nc6 7. Be3
B03 Alekhine's defense, four pawns attack, Tartakower variation
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. f4 dxe5 6. fxe5 Nc6 7. Be3 Bf5 8. Nc3 e6 9. Nf3 Qd7 10. Be2 O-O-O 11. O-O Be7
B03 Alekhine's defense, four pawns attack, Planinc variation
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. f4 g5
B03 Alekhine's defense, four pawns attack, fianchetto variation
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. f4 g6
B03 Alekhine's defense, four pawns attack, Trifunovic variation
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. f4 Bf5

How to Play the Modern Variation B04-B05

B04 Alekhine's defense, modern variation
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3
B04 Alekhine Defense variations
Analyzed by chess engine: Position is equal (+0.07).
B04 Alekhine's defense, modern, Larsen variation
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3 dxe5
B04 Alekhine's defense, modern, Schmid variation
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3 Nb6
B04 Alekhine's defense, modern, fianchetto variation
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3 g6
B04 Alekhine's defense, modern, Keres variation
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3 g6 5. Bc4 Nb6 6. Bb3 Bg7 7. a4

B05 Alekhine's defense, modern variation, 4...Bg4
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3 Bg4
B05 Alekhine Defense variations
Analyzed by chess engine: White is slightly better (+0.67).

To the Main Page of Alekhine's Defense

B05 Alekhine's defense, modern, Flohr variation
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3 Bg4 5. Be2 c6
B05 Alekhine's defense, modern, Panov variation
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3 Bg4 5. h3
B05 Alekhine's defense, modern, Alekhine variation
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3 Bg4 5. c4
B05 Alekhine's defense, modern, Vitolins attack
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3 Bg4 5. c4 Nb6 6. d5
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