Chess opening · ECO B03
Alekhine Defense: Four Pawns Attack
In the Four Pawns Attack White takes the Alekhine's invitation as far as it goes. Four pawns stand side by side on c4, d4, e5 and f4, and Black's knights are on b6 and b8. White has the space; Black has a target. The plan for Black is clear: trade on e5, develop fast and attack d4 before White's pieces catch up with the pawns.
- Rank by weighted share
- #155 of 159
Key moves
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. f4
- 4. c4Kicks the knight from d5 a second time. Black's knight goes to b6, where it eyes c4 but blocks the b-pawn. White now has pawns on c4, d4 and e5 and is one move away from a fourth.
- 5. f4The fourth pawn arrives. It props up e5 so that ...dxe5 can be met by a pawn recapture, keeping a white pawn on that square. With f2 empty, the g1 to a7 diagonal toward White's king is open, and White's pieces are still at home.
Trading on e5 first
The main line starts with 5...dxe5. If White recaptures with the d-pawn, queens can come off with ...Qxd1+, which drains the attack out of the position. So White normally takes back with the f-pawn, keeping a pawn on d4 and opening the f-file for a rook.
After 6.fxe5 the pawn on e5 still takes f6 and d6 away from Black. In return the d4 pawn has no pawn on c3 or e3 behind it, so it becomes the square Black aims at.
Black's pieces against d4 and e5
The black knight comes to c6, the bishop to f5, and ...e6 opens the f8 bishop. From there Black can bring the queen to d7 and castle long, or play ...Be7 and castle short before striking with ...f6. White meets this with Be3 and Nf3, which join the queen in guarding d4, plus Nc3 to finish developing.
The standard development race
5... dxe5 6. fxe5 Nc6 7. Be3 Bf5 8. Nc3 e6 9. Nf3
Both sides have spent the last moves developing. White's bishop on e3 and knight on f3 cover d4, and the e5 pawn is defended by d4 and the f3 knight. Black's bishop on f5 covers b1 and d3, and the knights on b6 and c6 stand ready to hit c4 and d4.
Top replies by rating
| Rating | Top | Second | Third |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1400–1599 | dxe5 57% | Bf5 36% | g6 7% |
| 1600–1799 | dxe5 72% | Bf5 13% | Nc6 8% |
| 1800–1999 | dxe5 83% | g6 11% | Bf5 7% |
| 2000 and up | dxe5 74% | g5 26% | – |
Questions
Why do Black's other fifth moves show up in the table?
Moves such as 5...Bf5 and 5...g6 develop first and leave the pawn trade for later. They keep more tension, but the e5 pawn then stays supported by both d4 and f4.
Related openings
Try it on the board. The first coached game and three analyses are free.