- ECO code
- B02
- Moves
- 1.e4 Nf6
- Family
- Alekhine Defense
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 772
- Average game length
- 44 moves
- Years covered
- 1905–2026
Alekhine Defense is the opening filed under ECO code B02, reached after 1.e4 Nf6. 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 772 games on this line — the 138th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1905 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 291 games. An average game here lasts 44 moves.
White wins 44% of those games, 26% end in a draw, and Black wins 30%. 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 2.e5, played in 648 games, followed by 2.Nc3 (110) and 2.d3 (12). After 2.e5 White scores 46% and Black 28%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Firouzja,Alireza (39 games); on the Black side, Bortnyk,Olexandr (86).
4 named variations branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Alekhine Defense: Normal Variation; Alekhine Defense (B03); Alekhine Defense (B03).
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Results in master games
- White 44% (340)
- Draws 26% (202)
- Black 30% (230)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.e5 | 648 | 46/26/28 | — |
| 2.Nc3 | 110 | 37/27/36 | — |
| 2.d3 | 12 | 33/25/42 | — |
| 2.Qe2 | 2 | 50/0/50 | — |
Variations from this position
- Normal Variation · 2.e5 Nd5 · 633 games
- Alekhine Defense (B03) · 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 · 525 games
- Alekhine Defense (B03) · 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 · 513 games
- Modern Variation · 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 · 344 games
How the position is reached
- King's Pawn Game · 1.e4 · 62,859 games
Played most often by
As White
- Firouzja,Alireza 39
- Nakamura,Hi 34
- Shirov,A 30
As Black
- Bortnyk,Olexandr 86
- Carlsen,M 45
- Mamedyarov,S 40
Games per decade
- 1900s 1
- 1920s 56
- 1930s 26
- 1940s 10
- 1950s 17
- 1960s 58
- 1970s 46
- 1980s 27
- 1990s 43
- 2000s 122
- 2010s 75
- 2020s 291
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grischuk,A | Bortnyk,Olexandr | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 3rd Feb 2026 |
| Carlsen,M | Bortnyk,Olexandr | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Titled Tue 27th Jan 2026 |
| Caruana,F | Taher,Yoseph Theolifus | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 21st Apr 2026 |
| Xu Huahua | Ivanchuk,V | 0-1 | 2026 | FIDE World Rapid Team |
| 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 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Alekhine Defense?
It is the opening with ECO code B02, reached after 1.e4 Nf6. It belongs to the Alekhine Defense family.
Is the Alekhine Defense good for White or for Black?
In 772 master games on this line White wins 44%, 26% are drawn and Black wins 30%. The collection average is White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28% — so this line is a slightly better bargain for Black than the field as a whole.
What is the main continuation of the Alekhine Defense?
2.e5 — played in 648 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Alekhine Defense?
On the White side Firouzja,Alireza (39), Nakamura,Hi (34), Shirov,A (30); on the Black side Bortnyk,Olexandr (86), Carlsen,M (45), Mamedyarov,S (40).
Every number on this page is computed from Katuranga's master game collection; names and ECO codes follow the lichess opening book (CC0).
Try this line on the board
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