- ECO code
- B03
- Moves
- 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6
- Family
- Alekhine Defense
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 513
- Average game length
- 45 moves
- Years covered
- 1921–2026
Alekhine Defense is the opening filed under ECO code B03, reached after 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6. It belongs to the Alekhine Defense family; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 513 games on this line — the 207th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1921 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 191 games. An average game here lasts 45 moves.
White wins 48% of those games, 26% end in a draw, and Black wins 26%. That is close to the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%). Draws are less common here than usual, by 9 points.
From this position the most popular move is 4.Nf3, played in 344 games, followed by 4.c4 (151) and 4.exd6 (8). 4.Nf3 leads into Alekhine Defense: Modern Variation. After 4.Nf3 White scores 49% and Black 25%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Firouzja,Alireza (36 games); on the Black side, Bortnyk,Olexandr (57).
1 named variation branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Alekhine Defense: Modern Variation.
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Results in master games
- White 48% (243)
- Draws 26% (135)
- Black 26% (135)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.Nf3 | 344 | 49/26/25 | Alekhine Defense: Modern Variation |
| 4.c4 | 151 | 46/26/28 | — |
| 4.exd6 | 8 | 37/25/38 | — |
| 4.Bc4 | 6 | 50/33/17 | — |
| 4.f4 | 3 | 0/33/67 | — |
| 4.Bg5 | 1 | 0/0/100 | — |
Variations from this position
- Modern Variation · 4.Nf3 · 344 games
How the position is reached
- King's Pawn Game · 1.e4 · 62,859 games
- Alekhine Defense · 1.e4 Nf6 · 772 games
- Alekhine Defense: Normal Variation · 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 · 633 games
- Alekhine Defense · 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 · 525 games
Played most often by
As White
- Firouzja,Alireza 36
- Grischuk,A 28
- Shirov,A 28
As Black
- Bortnyk,Olexandr 57
- Carlsen,M 29
- Larsen, Bent 23
Games per decade
- 1920s 8
- 1930s 12
- 1940s 6
- 1950s 10
- 1960s 37
- 1970s 36
- 1980s 20
- 1990s 38
- 2000s 103
- 2010s 52
- 2020s 191
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grischuk,A | Bortnyk,Olexandr | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 3rd Feb 2026 |
| Caruana,F | Taher,Yoseph Theolifus | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 21st Apr 2026 |
| So,W | Bortnyk,Olexandr | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Chess.com Open PlayIn1 |
| Sargsyan,Shant | Rapport,R | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | FIDE World Rapid Team |
| Naiditsch,A | Rapport,R | 1-0 | 2026 | FIDE World Rapid Team |
| Abdusattorov,Nodirbek | Bortnyk,Olexandr | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Chess.com Open PlayIn1 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Alekhine Defense?
It is the opening with ECO code B03, reached after 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6. It belongs to the Alekhine Defense family.
Is the Alekhine Defense good for White or for Black?
In 513 master games on this line White wins 48%, 26% are drawn and Black wins 26%. The collection average is White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28% — so this line is no worse than usual for White than the field as a whole.
What is the main continuation of the Alekhine Defense?
4.Nf3 — played in 344 of the master games on this line, which leads into Alekhine Defense: Modern Variation.
Which grandmasters play the Alekhine Defense?
On the White side Firouzja,Alireza (36), Grischuk,A (28), Shirov,A (28); on the Black side Bortnyk,Olexandr (57), Carlsen,M (29), Larsen, Bent (23).
Every number on this page is computed from Katuranga's master game collection; names and ECO codes follow the lichess opening book (CC0).
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