Understand Alekhine's Defence in six diagrams

1) We attack the pawn.

No blocking with 1...e5 or ignoring with 1...g6. We attack the pawn with our knight. We dare White to start advancing pawns to attack our knight.

2) If White doesn't bother to defend the pawn we will take it.

In 9% of games on Lichess White plays 2.Nf3, in 3% of games 2. Bc4 and in 2% of cases 2.d4. The bishop move is perhaps deliberate but after 2.Bc4 Nxe4 3. Bxf7+ Kxf7 4. Qh5 White gets a few checks but ends up worse. The knight move is probably an oversight or premove. In terms of expected value from an opening, all these moves are very helpful!

3) If White just defends the pawn with 2. Nc3 or 2.d3 we have already more or less equalised.

Here we have the option of transposing to a less critical King's Pawn Opening. Meeting 2.Nc3 with ...d5 is also decent.

2.Nc3 is played in 30% of Lichess games, with 2.d3 played 7% of the time. Add in the cases above when White doesn't bother to defend the pawn and you'll see Black is facing lines other than the critical e5 push over half the time.

At Classical it's different with e5 being played in 84% of games on the Lichess Master database and scoring 38% wins and 37% draws this way.

4) Occasionally White just pushes the e-pawn forward.

Usually when White pushes e5 it is quickly followed up by d4, c4 or both. However, it is possible to simply carry on developing.

Here there are several ways to play after taking the knight. One way I have often played is to push the pawn to d5 next and then aim to play a French-type structure, ideally getting the light-squared bishop to g4 before playing ...e6. The engines prefer a plan based on ...d6.

5) Cautious White players will ease off the aggression after pushing the d-pawn forward.

This is the way that White can seek to gain a small space advantage. In practice they will often lose that space as we undermine the e5 and d4 pawns. Here we have several playable options:

A) We can pin with ...Bg4, often with the intention of taking on f3 if provoked. Sometimes we'll take on f3 without provocation to win the e-pawn.

B) We can exchange the pawn on e5 and look to undermine whatever recaptures.

C) We can fianchetto our king's bishop and delay attacking the centre for a few moves whilst we develop our kingside.

D) We can egg White on with a suspect 4..Nc6 which encourages c4 followed by an e6 sacrifice.

6) Pushing a 3rd pawn with c4 is commonly followed by exchanging on d6.

This is a reasonable approach from White and a common one for players who have taken the time to learn a response to the Alekhine's.

I have always taken back with the c-pawn and played a kingside fianchetto. In practice that has mostly worked out well. After developing Black can often aim for a ..d5 pawn push to fix a white pawn on d4. If White pushes c5 then Black's knight can go to c4 or regroup via c8 to e7 and then f5. If you manage all that then in blitz you will usually win the d4-pawn!

The engines prefer retaking with the e-pawn.

7) White pushes four pawns forward and goes for it.

Black might get crushed under the lack of space. However, in human practice the White position is often undermined and collapses quickly. The challenge for White is that whilst the engines approve there are numerous different systems which Black might play. They're all a bit fishy against optimal play but they're also tricky to face and learn.

In my experience at both blitz and classical White often plays inaccurately and the White centre collapses. The only person to blow me off the board with White was David Bronstein (yes the one who tied a match with Botvinnik) when I faced him in a local rapid tournament in England many years ago.

To add a little more detail to this wishful thinking, Black could consider the following strategies:

A) Try to detonate the White centre with 5..g5. Played by Magnus in an important rapid game but not really sound enough to play regularly.

B) Wait with 5..g6 and play it a little bit like a Pirc, allowing White to enjoy the pawn centre for a few moves before later undermining it.

C1) Exchange on e5 and attack the pawn centre with pieces such as ..Nc6 and ..Bg4 if allowed.

C2) Exchange on e5 and attack the pawn centre with pawns starting with ..c5, and meeting d5 with ..e6. A bit sketchy in the engine era.

C3) Exchange on e5 and then keep options open with ..Bf5 (The engine choice.)

Conclusions

The Alekhine is an excellent practical weapon for blitz or bullet. I've also found it does well against less experienced players at classical speeds. Even when facing IM/GM players I have often got reasonable positions from the opening.

Engines aren't so keen as unlike humans they are adept at keeping tactical control and winning with a space advantage. I've included some chapters in the study below illustrating how they play the lines.

I created a Lichess study which includes all the diagrams above, some engine games for each position and some Magnus Carlsen and Oleksandr Bortnyk games. You can find it in Learn - Study - search on "Alekhine Defence in six diagrams". I'll also put a link in the forum (putting it here creates an unwanted embedded diagram).

I also recorded some videos for each diagram and player here:
(2) Alekhine's Defence in six diagrams - YouTube

If you liked the blog please give it a like. Feel free to comment in the forum.

Finally, you could consider buying my book available on Amazon. It focuses on how we can make best use of our time during a blitz or classical game. Using an opening like the Alekhine's Defence is one example of implementing that approach.
Better Chess Faster: Strategies for online and live play: Amazon.co.uk: Crocker, Mr Phil: 9798829874704: Books