Alekhine Defense: Four Pawns Attack, Tartakower Variation
Alekhine Defense: Four Pawns Attack, Tartakower Variation is a chess opening with the ECO code B03, part of the Alekhine Defense family. It goes 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. f4 dxe5 6. fxe5 Nc6 7. Be3 Bf5 8. Nc3 e6 9. Nf3 Qd7 10. Be2 O-O-O 11. O-O Be7. White opens with 1. e4 (the king's pawn) and Black answers 1... Nf6. After 22 moves it is White to move. The lesson on the board explains every move of the line and lets you play it yourself; it is free.
The moves
1. e4 – White plays the pawn to e4
1... Nf6 – Black plays the knight to f6
2. e5 – White plays the pawn to e5
2... Nd5 – Black plays the knight to d5
3. d4 – White plays the pawn to d4
3... d6 – Black plays the pawn to d6
4. c4 – White plays the pawn to c4
4... Nb6 – Black plays the knight to b6
5. f4 – White plays the pawn to f4
5... dxe5 – Black captures on e5 with the d-pawn
6. fxe5 – White captures on e5 with the f-pawn
6... Nc6 – Black plays the knight to c6
The line goes on for 10 more moves; the lesson shows them all.
About the Alekhine Defense
Black answers 1.e4 with 1...Nf6, inviting White's pawns to chase the knight. The idea is to make White over-extend, then attack the big centre.
After e5 Nd5 c4 Nb6 d4, White has a big centre that can become a target.
Black hits the centre with ...d6, ...Nc6, ...Bg4 and ...c5.
The quiet 4.Nf3 (Modern) is White's safest way to keep a small edge.
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