- ECO code
- B04
- Moves
- 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3
- Family
- Alekhine Defense
- To move
- Black
- Master games
- 344
- Average game length
- 45 moves
- Years covered
- 1923–2026
Alekhine Defense: Modern Variation is the opening filed under ECO code B04, reached after 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3. It belongs to the Alekhine Defense family and is known as the Modern Variation; in the resulting position it is Black to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 344 games on this line — the 279th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1923 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 112 games. An average game here lasts 45 moves.
White wins 49% of those games, 26% end in a draw, and Black wins 25%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores worse here by 3 percentage points. Draws are less common here than usual, by 9 points.
From this position the most popular move is 4...dxe5, played in 149 games, followed by 4...g6 (82) and 4...Bg4 (76). After 4...dxe5 White scores 49% and Black 25%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Grischuk,A (27 games); on the Black side, Bortnyk,Olexandr (25).
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Results in master games
- White 49% (168)
- Draws 26% (91)
- Black 25% (85)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4...dxe5 | 149 | 49/26/25 | — |
| 4...g6 | 82 | 48/29/23 | — |
| 4...Bg4 | 76 | 55/24/21 | — |
| 4...Nc6 | 17 | 18/41/41 | — |
| 4...Nb6 | 12 | 33/25/42 | — |
| 4...c6 | 6 | 66/17/17 | — |
| 4...Bf5 | 2 | 100/0/0 | — |
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
- Alekhine Defense · 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 · 513 games
Played most often by
As White
- Grischuk,A 27
- Karjakin,Sergey 12
- Karpov, Anatoly 12
As Black
- Bortnyk,Olexandr 25
- Carlsen,M 23
- Larsen, Bent 20
Games per decade
- 1920s 4
- 1930s 6
- 1940s 1
- 1950s 7
- 1960s 26
- 1970s 28
- 1980s 18
- 1990s 34
- 2000s 68
- 2010s 40
- 2020s 112
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 |
| 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 |
| Grischuk,A | Piliposyan,Robert | 1-0 | 2026 | 2nd 3-0 Thu 5th Feb 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Alekhine Defense: Modern Variation?
It is the opening with ECO code B04, reached after 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3. It belongs to the Alekhine Defense family.
Is the Alekhine Defense: Modern Variation good for White or for Black?
In 344 master games on this line White wins 49%, 26% are drawn and Black wins 25%. 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: Modern Variation?
4...dxe5 — played in 149 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Alekhine Defense: Modern Variation?
On the White side Grischuk,A (27), Karjakin,Sergey (12), Karpov, Anatoly (12); on the Black side Bortnyk,Olexandr (25), Carlsen,M (23), Larsen, Bent (20).
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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