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| Mar-24-05 | | QuestionableAtBest: A few items:
1. AD is a great choice for people who don't want any huge burden of theory, and very good winning chances, BOTH practical and theoretical.2. Regarding the exchange variation: In my experience 5 ... cxd6 creates far more chances than the e-pawn capture. 3. Beginners would be well served to study vienna/four knights OR certain french systems as the you will see 2. Nc3 very frequently esp at lower levels (I prefer the french method where black plays 2 ... d5, however be sure to look at how GM Hector plays white against it, his success is rather disconcerting). 4. Play over at least a few gm games and watch how they strike back against the center, it is easy to panic if you are not used to dealing with a space disadvantage. I believe that AD (as a counter to e4) offers better winning chances than anything outside of the very theoretical sicilians (najdorf, sveshnikov etc.) Unless of course, your name happens to be Tolya Karpov... |
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| Mar-25-05 | | AgentRgent: <keypusher> I remember posting about this on one of the Alekhine pages (can't remember which), but here it is again. Against the Exchange variation I prefer cxd6 because the extra center pawn is valuable, White would be better prepared to control an open e file, It opens the a5-d8 diagonal instead of the h4-d8 diagonal which white is better prepared to sieze (Nf3 and Bg5). Overall, I'm disappointed when someone plays the exchange as it tends to take much of the fun out of the position, but if I had White it's what I'd play! |
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| Mar-25-05 | | AgentRgent: <QuestionableAtBest> Very well put. Re: 2. Nc3 d5. I respond to 3. e5 with Ne4 rather than Nd7 because of the potential pawn sac 4. e6 (which I believe GM Hector plays). after 3. e5 Ne4 Whites main choices are 4. Nxe4 dxe4 which is fine for black, 4. d4 Nxc3 which leads to favorable French lines (white misses that Queen's Knight.) or 4. Nce2 d4!? which is "theory" though I've yet to have ANYONE play it against me. |
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| Mar-25-05 | | QuestionableAtBest: <AgentRgent> Thanks. You are right about Ne4, though I like whites chances if they know to play Nce2. Out of curiousity, what do you play on move 4 in the mainline? I am personally entrenched in playing g6 come hell or high water, but alot of people frown on it. One more bit of advice for people who are having trouble against the four pawns attack, try 5 ... g5. I would suggest playing training games vs. the computer to learn it. I find it highly effective, and not just in bullet/blitz. |
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| Mar-25-05 | | AgentRgent: <QuestionableAtBest> Assuming you mean 4. Nf3 to be the mainline... it depends.. If I'm content to draw with Black: I play Larsen's 4...dxe5 5. Nxe5 Nd7 since I've memorized the 6. Nxf7 lines. If I have to have a win (or just feel like fighting it out) I play 4...g6. |
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| Mar-28-05 | | chess man: Obviously it's not just the opening; it's also about the skill of the player. |
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| Mar-30-05 | | QuestionableAtBest: <AgentRgent> Yes, I meant 4. Nf3, I think black's choice after that tells a lot about his/her character as an AD player (if not the situation). |
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| Mar-30-05 | | AgentRgent: <QuestionableAtBest> Hmmm I wonder what my answer says about my character then.. ;-) |
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| Mar-30-05 | | QuestionableAtBest: <AgentRgent> Well, on those occasions you choose g6, I can say unequivocally you are a person of distinguished taste and high character. And while I would never adopt the Larsen route, it scared off no less a player than Tal (however that was when it was brand new). |
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Mar-31-05
 | | keypusher: Here's my Alekhine game so far, to be filed under "be careful what you wish for": 1 e4 ♘f6 2 e5 ♘d5 3 d4 d6 4 c4 ♘b6 5 f4 de 6 fe c5 (I looked through opening explorer and didn't like some of the recent games with 6...Nc6.) 7 d5 e6 8 ♘c3 ed 9 cd c4 10 d6 ♘c6 11 ♘b5 ♕h4+ (first time either one of us touched something other than our pawns or knights!) 12 g3 ♕e4+ 13 ♕e2 ♗f5 (also found in the explorer) 14 ♗g2 ♕xe2+ 15 ♘xe2 ♘xe5 16 ♘c7+ ♔d7 17 ♘xa8 ♘d3+ 18 ♔d2 ♘xa8 19 ♗xb7 ♗xd6 20 ♘d4 ♗b4+ 21 ♔e2 ♗g4+ 22 ♔f1 ♘b6 and that's where we are. I am reasonably happy with my position right now but that was a little bit too much drama! What do you Alekhine mavens play against the Four Pawns Attack? |
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| Mar-31-05 | | AgentRgent: <keypusher: What do you Alekhine mavens play against the Four Pawns Attack?> 6...c5 7. d5 g6 |
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| Mar-31-05 | | Kangaroo: <keypusher: What do you Alekhine mavens play against the Four Pawns Attack?>
5. ... Bf5 as a more flexible answer. Also 5. ... dxe5. 6. fxe5 Bf5 - another alternative. In addition, 5. ... g6 or 6. ... g6 (after 5. ... dxe5. 6. fxe5) is a good chance to avoid the competition with those who have memorized theoretical suggestions. |
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Apr-07-05
| | keypusher: OK, this is sheer self-indulgence, but here is the rest of the game: 23 h3 ♗h5 24 ♗c6+ ♔c7 25 ♗f4+ ♘xf4 26 gf c3? (26...♖d8 or 26...♗c5 would have kept black's advantage, I think) 27 ♗b5? (27 bc ♗xc3 28 ♘b5+! -- we both missed that) cb 28 ♖b1 ♖d8 29 ♗e2 ♗xe2+ 30 ♘xe2 ♘c4 31 ♔f2 ♖d2 32 ♖hd1 ♖c2 33 ♖d4? ♗c5 0-1 A very interesting game, but I think I will try one of the alternatives suggested by <agentrgent> or <kangaroo> next time. Of course any comments on the game are welcome. |
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Apr-07-05
 | | tpstar: <keypusher> Nice game! After 21. Ke2 I was going to suggest 21 ... Nxc1+ 22. Raxc1 Bd3+ 23. Kf3 f5 with deep Bishops, but 21 ... Bg4+ was better forcing the King back to the first rank (22. Ke3? Re8+). Then 26 ... Bc5 should win a piece since the Bc6 only has the one defender, giving you two pieces for the Rook. You drove it home well. I'll bet most AD fans like facing the 4 Pawns Attack, since overextending White's center plays right into Black's hands. Good luck. |
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| Apr-07-05 | | Mating Net: Congratulations <keypusher> and welcome to the Alekhine's Defense victory club LOL! If I may add to the discussion on the Four Pawns Attack, I like to play 6...c5 7.d5 where I will sometimes try 7...e6 because, quite often, especially in Blitz games, White will play the faulty 8.d6? which allows the Thunderbolt 8...Qh4+! and Black has a won game. The correct White response is probably 8.Nc3, but Black still gets plenty of counterplay with 8...exd5 and 9...c4. Check out Simini vs Steniczka, 1973 for a good example. |
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Apr-07-05
| | keypusher: <tpstar> thanks. I thought if 26...♗c5 white had 27 ♗f3 to avoid losing a piece, although 27...♗xd4 28 ♗xh5 ♗xb2 has got to be good for black. <Mating Net>, thanks, I will check that out. |
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| Apr-10-05 | | Mating Net: Returning to an earlier point that was raised about the exchange variation in Alekhine's Defense, I've been doing some checking and it seems that if Black plays 5...cxd6 White can really cramp Black's game by playing the Voronezh set-up. Basically this calls for getting all White pieces off of the a1-h8 diagonal with moves like Rc1, b3 and then striking with a well timed d5. The result is Black is pretty cramped with poor squares for any of his pieces while White's pieces are very active.
Check out
N Zdebskaja vs Karjakin, 2000 for an example of play in this line. In spite of following the age old strategy of trading pieces when cramped for space, Black's game suffers and White prevails rather easily IMO. The Voronesh set-up could indicate that 5...exd6 is better for Black in the long run. Perhaps <AgentRgent> or <ksadler> or <keypusher> or some other AD practitioner could chime in with their take on this. |
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| Apr-13-05 | | AgentRgent: <Mating Net> Our hero Vladimir Bagirov shows us the way:
D Gross vs Bagirov, 1996 |
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| Apr-13-05 | | Mating Net: Thanks <AgentRgent> our hero does indeed show the way with 9...e5. However, Black still has a tough time developing his Queenside pieces and White had the initiative and strong play. I like 9...e5 much more than 9...Nc6 that's for sure and I'm quite partial to the Queen exchange with Black. Keep the suggestions and info coming <AgentRgent> as us Alekhine's Defense wannabes would be lost without your guidance. |
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| Apr-23-05 | | fgh: <AgentRent>: Since you seem to be an expert on the Alekhine defense, I wanted to ask you something: When you face the Alekhine defense as white, what do you play? Or you don't play 1. e4? And what does everybody else here play against the Alekhine as white? Thanks for the answers. |
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Apr-23-05
| | keypusher: <fgh> It's funny, I play nothing but 1 e4 and I have only seen 1...♘f6 once in a serious game, in the UK over a decade ago. I played the Four Pawns Attack (very badly -- more like the Four Pawns Drunken Lunge), but my opponent didn't take advantage. I achieved a crushing superiority and... barely avoided losing. For many years I heeded this clear signal to abandon chess entirely, but the internet dragged me back, like poor Mr. Corleone. |
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| Apr-24-05 | | Mating Net: <fgh> My experience is similar to <keypusher> in that facing 1...Nf6 is so rare that I don't have any experience against it in a serious OTB game. However, should the moment arise, I would play the Exchange Variation. I say this because that is the line that gives me the toughest game as Black. I love facing the 4 pawns attack as Black, so I would never play that as White, in spite of the fact that the line requires very careful play on Black's part. |
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| Apr-25-05 | | AgentRgent: <fgh> I don't play 1.e4 (I'm a 1. Nf3 devotee) but if I ever did face the Alekhine's, I would play the exchange. |
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| Apr-30-05 | | ksadler: To <MatingNet> from a while back (April 10th), I personally play .. exd6 against the exchange, avoiding that line, but that is clearly the strongest against the fianchetto. The problem with Alekhine's Defense in the passive setups (.. exd6 in the Exchange and the 4. Nf3 Bg4 lines) is that White can get a superior position without any risk. In lines like the Voronezh cxd6 line, the play is much sharper and with more tension, and Black gets more tactical chances because of that. |
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| May-01-05 | | WorldChampeen: I think, Alekhine's Defence looks very fine, 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 <---- but it seems people do not bite often, I wonder why study it. Forster vs E Schiller, 1982 This is called that Defence although on move 2; back to Ng8... It seems Graham Burgess has a burgeoning study on Alekhine's Defence as well; the used book store has it. I am not positive but I think, that is a book well over 300 pages. Maybe I am in error, I should have picked it up. BCO, Batsford Chess Openings says many times, it leads to "obscure variations" because it does seem so different, I can understand why. |
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