According to Lichess (September 2026, N = 176,509 games), White scores 52.7% against the Alekhine Defense. With it you invite the pawn to e5 and attack it later. The opening appears in 0.6% of games. Strong players follow 2. 3. , and that is the line explained here.
Lichess games from September 2026 (30,577,162 rated 900 to 1700) and 31,791 over-the-board games rated 2300+ from the last 12 months. Data updated: October 14, 2026.
53 named lines in this family; 1 with their own page.
The opening's share in each Lichess rating band.
After 1. , the public plays 2. or 2.: together they make up almost 3 of every 4 games. Strong players choose 2. in 68 of every 100. Your is the reply in 8 of every 10 public games and 97 of every 100 strong ones. Then 3. is the most common move in both groups: 40 of every 100 public games and 53 of every 100 strong ones. With you attack the e5 pawn. In the public games, 4. appears in 31 of every 100, 4. in 24 of every 100 and 4. in 17 of every 100.
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36.5% | 53.4% | 24.4% | 10.3% | |
| 36.3% | 54.1% | 68.1% | 89.7% | |
| 8.7% | 48.0% | 1.1% | no data | |
| 7.2% | 51.9% | 5.0% | no data | |
| 3.9% | 49.4% | no data | no data | |
| 2.3% | 52.5% | no data | no data | |
| no data | no data | 0.4% | no data | |
| no data | no data | 0.3% | no data |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80.3% | 52.9% | 96.5% | 100.0% | |
| 9.2% | 57.2% | 0.6% | no data | |
| 7.2% | 55.6% | 2.6% | no data | |
| 1.6% | 67.9% | no data | no data | |
| 0.5% | 68.8% | 0.1% | no data | |
| 0.3% | 72.7% | no data | no data | |
| no data | no data | 0.1% | no data | |
| no data | no data | 0.1% | no data |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 39.5% | 52.4% | 52.6% | 85.6% | |
| 32.2% | 53.2% | 28.3% | 6.8% | |
| 13.3% | 53.0% | 2.2% | no data | |
| 10.1% | 54.4% | 5.1% | no data | |
| 2.1% | 54.3% | 10.0% | 7.6% | |
| 1.4% | 49.9% | 0.6% | no data |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45.3% | 50.6% | 87.9% | 100.0% | |
| 25.6% | 54.9% | 2.1% | no data | |
| 8.7% | 54.2% | no data | no data | |
| 5.5% | 44.9% | 1.8% | no data | |
| 4.5% | 51.2% | 7.1% | no data | |
| 3.2% | 56.4% | 0.1% | no data | |
| no data | no data | 0.8% | no data |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31.2% | 49.6% | 43.7% | 34.7% | |
| 23.9% | 51.6% | 38.3% | 65.3% | |
| 17.2% | 50.6% | 4.2% | no data | |
| 11.7% | 54.6% | 10.0% | no data | |
| 11.4% | 50.0% | 3.5% | no data | |
| 1.1% | 44.2% | 0.1% | no data |
Your plan as Black is to let White advance and then attack the pawn that ends up furthest forward. After 2. the pawn attacks your knight on f6, and you move it to , a central square. The e5 pawn stands alone: no pawn defends it. That is why White plays 3., which supports e5 and takes the center. You answer , which attacks e5 and forces White to hold the pawn or trade it.
The strong players' line goes on with 4., which attacks your knight on d5. You pull it back with , and from b6 it presses the c4 pawn, which the bishop on f1 protects. Among strong players, 51 of every 100 continue with 5., and you recapture with . White no longer has a pawn on e5. Your d6 pawn controls c5 and e5 against the pawns on c4 and d4, and the c-file is half-open for you, with the c4 pawn as the target. The price is time: in four moves your knight moves three times. In return, White has to hold a wide center with pieces.
If White answers with 5., you are in the Four Pawns Attack. The f4 pawn adds a second defender to e5, and White's pawns stand on c4, d4, e5 and f4. In its main line you trade with 6. and play . That knight hits d4 and e5, and with your d-pawn gone, the queen on d8 bears down on d4 too. That is why White guards d4 with 7..
With 4. White develops instead of grabbing space with 4.. Strong players choose it in 38 of every 100 games, the public in 24 of every 100. The knight on f3 adds a second defender to e5, next to the d4 pawn. Since no white pawn has reached c4, your knight can stay on d5.
With 4. the bishop attacks your knight on d5. Strong players choose it in 4 of every 100 games, the public in 17 of every 100. Watch for one detail: your d6 pawn blocks the d-file, so the queen on d8 no longer guards d5. The knight is undefended, and you have to move it or protect it before you go back to your plan against e5.
| Move | Strong games | Chosen by |
|---|---|---|
| 22,289 | 68.3% | |
| 15,201 | 96.6% | |
| 14,668 | 52.8% | |
| 7,744 | 88.1% | |
| 6,802 | 43.6% | |
| 2,958 | 100.0% | |
| 5,500 | 50.8% | |
| 2,809 | 52.0% |
A mistake. After 2. 3., leaves e5 undefended: 4.. You win it back with , hitting both knights, then 5. 6. , but you give up the bishop and the c1 bishop's diagonal opens. Almost 1 in 4 players choose it, and at this level it often goes unpunished. Play instead, guarding e5.
23 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 1.2 pawns of advantage. It scores 48.5%; scores 47.0%.
An inaccuracy, but a costly one at your level. After 2. 3., clears e5 for White: 4. sends your knight back to , since the c3 knight covers d5 and e4 and the queen covers g4 and h5. Then 5. and 6. complete White's center. You score 36 points in 100; with , hitting e4, you score half.
40 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 0.9 pawns of advantage. It scores 35.8%; scores 50.5%.
A mistake. After 3., guards e5, but White's pawns chase your knights around: 4. 5. kicks the e5 knight to , and 6. sends the f6 knight back to . Material is level, but both your knights are off the center and White has pawns on d4 and e5. You score 40 of every 100 points.
17 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 1.8 pawns of advantage. It scores 40.2%; scores 50.5%.
A blunder. After 3., does nothing for e5, and 4. wins the pawn while hitting your knight on f6. After , 5. kicks the bishop to , and 6. attacks g7, which nothing defends. You cover it with , but you lose the right to castle and stay a pawn down. You score 40 of every 100 points.
4 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 6.1 pawns of advantage. It scores 39.8%; scores 50.5%.
A blunder. After 3., eyes the knight that guards e4 and abandons e5. After 4. you trade 5. and grab , but 6. hits that knight and g7 at once, and blocks the g-file. White has the bishop pair, and only your queen defends the g5 knight. At this level it often goes unpunished.
4 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 4.9 pawns of advantage. It scores 46.6%; scores 50.5%.
An inaccuracy. After 2. 3., opens the center before you have guarded e5. After 4. the f3 knight still hits e5, and you spend covering it. Then 5. 6. leaves you a pawn down in exchange for active pieces. At this level opponents often don't punish it: you score the same as with .
5 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 0.8 pawns of advantage. It scores 46.8%; scores 47.0%.
| White | Black | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 63,894 | ||
| Not castled | Not castled | 28,455 |
| Not castled | 27,445 | |
| Not castled | 18,756 | |
| 12,278 | ||
| 10,847 |
| White | Black | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 103 | ||
| Not castled | 13 | |
| Not castled | Not castled | 8 |
| 6 | ||
| Not castled | 4 | |
| Not castled | 3 |
1. 2. · 33,637 amateur games · 12 over the board
After 2., you answer : 33,637 public games, with an almost even split.
1. 2. · 18,183 amateur games · 3 over the board
With 2. White does not push the pawn to e5: 18,183 public games.
1. 2. · 14,981 amateur games · 1 over the board
The standard position after 2. , with no side steps: 14,981 public games.
1. 2. 3. · 13,615 amateur games
With 3. White attacks your knight on d5 at once: 13,615 public games.
1. 2. · 8,500 amateur games
After 2. you jump to , a knight with no pawn to support it: 8,500 public games.
1. 2. · 7,198 amateur games · 2 over the board
With 2. White develops the bishop before advancing the pawn: 7,198 public games.
1. 2. · 5,416 amateur games · 3 over the board
After 2., you send the knight back home with : 5,416 public games.
1. 2. 3. 4. · 4,957 amateur games · 62 over the board
With 4. White develops the knight instead of gaining space with 4.: 4,957 games.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. · B03
2,938 amateur games · White's score: 51.3%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. · B03
2,536 amateur games · White's score: 51.0%
1. 2. 3. 4. · B03
1,897 amateur games · White's score: 50.7%
1. 2. 3. · B03
1,452 amateur games · White's score: 45.3%
1. 2. 3. · B02
1,398 amateur games · White's score: 63.0%
1. 2. 3. · B02
1,251 amateur games · White's score: 54.3%
1. 2. 3. 4. · B02
515 amateur games · White's score: 45.9%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. · B03
429 amateur games · White's score: 43.4%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. · B03
415 amateur games · White's score: 49.6%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. · B03
356 amateur games · White's score: 52.1%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. · B02
134 amateur games · White's score: 53.4%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. · B03
112 amateur games · White's score: 46.4%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. · B02
64 amateur games · White's score: 43.0%
1. 2. 3. 4. · B02
56 amateur games · White's score: 54.5%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. · B03
30 amateur games · White's score: 68.3%
1. 2. 3. · B02
30 amateur games · White's score: 51.7%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. · B03
3 amateur games · White's score: 16.7%
1. 2. 3. · B02
2 amateur games · White's score: 100.0%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. · B03
2 amateur games · White's score: 50.0%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. · B02
1 amateur game · White's score: 100.0%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. · B03
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. · B03
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. · B03
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. · B02
You answer 1. with . After 2. your knight jumps to , and with 3. you attack the advanced pawn. It appears in 176,509 public games on Lichess. Among strong players, 68 of every 100 play 2. and 97 of every 100 answer .
It is the reply to 1.. You accept that White pushes the pawn to e5 and attack it afterwards with your pieces and with . It appears in 6 of every 1000 public games on Lichess, and players rated 900–1100 meet it more often than those rated 1500–1700.