complexanalysis1 wrote:
I remember bismark mentioning a tranpositions to an inferior caro from the alekhine
yeah , usually in the modern line after dxe5 Nxe5 and c6. Feels drawish and += at best, though
Alekhine's Defense = questionable?
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Jan 24, 2021
0
#43
strange Short would feel so strongly agaisnt a decent defense of this sort considering that he is arguably the strongest practitioner of the Queenside alekhine like line 1.d4 Nc6.
Jan 24, 2021
0
#44
It immediately challenges White's plans for the opening. It's direct and usually Black is better prepared than White because 1...Nf6 is not played that often anymore. However if you're not prepared as Black then it can become quite tricky.
Actually there is a recent game from Navara vs Short where he played the Alekhine quite successfully https://old.chesstempo.com/gamedb/game/2388533/r2qkb1r/pp3bpp/n1p1pp2/3n4/3P1PP1/2NN4/PPP1B2P/R1BQ1RK1%20w%20kq%20-%200%2012
I started studying this opening a few days ago as a surprise opening for blitz but the more I look at it the better it seems. Virtually every line can be forced into a draw or a favorable endgame for black, still have 0 experience playing it over the board but will give it a try when I have the chance
Oct 22, 2021
0
#46
I just love the Alekhine. I almost always win when opponents go into the main lines. Trouble is, almost everyone plays Nc3 and I get sad.
it's playable, but you need to be precise in main variations
Apr 29, 2022
0
#49
Say what you want, but those numbers coming from the Alekhine's defense speak for themselves...
Apr 29, 2022
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#50
pfren wrote:.
3.e5 d4 is just fine for Black as long as he doesn't get greedy.
I'm not so sure about that.
3.e5 d4 4.exf6 dxc3 5.fxg7 cxd2+ 6.Bxd2 Bxg7 7.Qf3! white casles queenside next, and black's position is embarassing.
The chessable course on the Alekhine gives this line as best play
I don't know why anyone would want to enter this position as black.
Apr 29, 2022
0
#51
Steven-ODonoghue wrote:
pfren wrote:.
3.e5 d4 is just fine for Black as long as he doesn't get greedy.
I'm not so sure about that.
3.e5 d4 4.exf6 dxc3 5.fxg7 cxd2+ 6.Bxd2 Bxg7 7.Qf3! white casles queenside next, and black's position is embarassing.
The chessable course on the Alekhine gives this line as best play
I don't know why anyone would want to enter this position as black.
I remember, a long time ago, I looked at this on lichess engine. I remember it gave some Bxb2 followed by Qd4, which is the engine move of engine moves.
I don't remember it now, and im too lazy to find it. But it was something like
If Alekhine played it on more than one occasion, it's not "questionable".
Only after 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 black should play 4...dxe5! 5.Nxe5 c6 or 5...g6, lest he allow a pawn recapture on e5 and have an awfully cramped game.
Apr 29, 2022
0
#54
Tim Sawyer has a great book online. Called 1.e4...Nf6. I have been playing this opening in rapid and scored exceptionally well. The computer rates the opening as +.5- +.7 in most cases favoring white. If you are good at tactics and endgames you will crush other players. If you want to just get a taste of what the book is about you can skim the pages. The author goes through the main line and sidelines as they come up. If you don't know middle game theory or hypermodern theory then this opening is not for you.
Apr 29, 2022
0
#55
Donnsteinz wrote:
Only after 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 black should play 4...dxe5! 5.Nxe5 c6 or 5...g6, lest he allow a pawn recapture on e5 and have an awfully cramped game.
I'm not really convinced the 5...c6 line solves all of black's problems. I would not play it against a lower rated player, to be honest. White can just develop and have a good game. That is why I am currently learning a Sicilian.
Apr 29, 2022
0
#56
B1ZMARK wrote:
I remember, a long time ago, I looked at this on lichess engine. I remember it gave some Bxb2 followed by Qd4, which is the engine move of engine moves.
I don't remember it now, and im too lazy to find it. But it was something like
Fair enough. an engine can probably hold black's position but I agree with you that it isn't advisable for humans.
As white I'd just play 9.Bd3, followed by Ne2 and laugh at black because his position makes no sense, although I'm not checking this with an engine so that idea may be flawed.
I have to basically conclude that 3...d4 isn't fully playable unless black wants to defend that scary position. In a blitz game I think white wins that almost every time.
Apr 29, 2022
0
#57
Steven-ODonoghue wrote:
B1ZMARK wrote:
I remember, a long time ago, I looked at this on lichess engine. I remember it gave some Bxb2 followed by Qd4, which is the engine move of engine moves.
I don't remember it now, and im too lazy to find it. But it was something like
Fair enough. an engine can probably hold black's position but I agree with you that it isn't advisable for humans.
As white I'd just play 9.Bd3, followed by Ne2 and laugh at black because his position makes no sense, although I'm not checking this with an engine so that idea may be flawed.
I have to basically conclude that 3...d4 isn't fully playable unless black wants to defend that scary position. In a blitz game I think white wins that almost every time.
I would probably take black, to be honest. I'm just that kind of weirdo XD
B1ZMARK wrote:
I'm not really convinced the 5...c6 line solves all of black's problems. I would not play it against a lower rated player, to be honest. White can just develop and have a good game. That is why I am currently learning a Sicilian.
True, in the caro structures white normally has a slight positional initiative, but then it's a feature of many openings like the French (Rubinstein var.), Scandinavian, and Caro-Kann itself (not to mention the Semi-Slav and with colors reversed, the Colle opening) which are all respected and by no means even close to being questionable openings.
The positions that arise from them are of course a matter of taste, and I was only saying that the Alekhine is not a dubious coffee house defense. Also, white will get a +/= kinda position (with good play) in the 6.Be2 lines against almost all kinds of Sicilians, so that's that. 
But in case you're wondering if black can do anything to avoid such positions in the Alekhine's defense, he can try 6...Nd7 (keeping the Bc8) and then g6, Bg7 etc. with a hypermodern set-up which promises a complex positional battle ahead. Check out Topalov - Carlsen, Linares, 2008 (0-1) which shows the dangers of sloppy play by white.
Apr 30, 2022
0
#59
Steven-ODonoghue skrev:
B1ZMARK wrote:
I remember, a long time ago, I looked at this on lichess engine. I remember it gave some Bxb2 followed by Qd4, which is the engine move of engine moves.
I don't remember it now, and im too lazy to find it. But it was something like
Fair enough. an engine can probably hold black's position but I agree with you that it isn't advisable for humans.
As white I'd just play 9.Bd3, followed by Ne2 and laugh at black because his position makes no sense, although I'm not checking this with an engine so that idea may be flawed.
I have to basically conclude that 3...d4 isn't fully playable unless black wants to defend that scary position. In a blitz game I think white wins that almost every time.
Although you may enjoy this line, I would NEVER advise anybody to play 2.Nc3 in the Alekhine. People usually play this in order to avoid theory, but it gets WAY more theory heavy than just having to know the exchange or modern variation.
For example:
In most of these options, which are almost all for black. White fails to give black any real problems. If you want to prove an advantage: you need to give black the game he wants with 2.e5.
My advice is that instead of learning all of this theory; you just pick one variation in the alekhine to learn well. 2.Nc3 gives black all the options and more often than not, he will be much more prepared than you.
May 3, 2022
0
#60
MisterOakwood wrote:
Steven-ODonoghue skrev:
B1ZMARK wrote:
I remember, a long time ago, I looked at this on lichess engine. I remember it gave some Bxb2 followed by Qd4, which is the engine move of engine moves.
I don't remember it now, and im too lazy to find it. But it was something like
Fair enough. an engine can probably hold black's position but I agree with you that it isn't advisable for humans.
As white I'd just play 9.Bd3, followed by Ne2 and laugh at black because his position makes no sense, although I'm not checking this with an engine so that idea may be flawed.
I have to basically conclude that 3...d4 isn't fully playable unless black wants to defend that scary position. In a blitz game I think white wins that almost every time.
Although you may enjoy this line, I would NEVER advise anybody to play 2.Nc3 in the Alekhine. People usually play this in order to avoid theory, but it gets WAY more theory heavy than just having to know the exchange or modern variation.
For example:
In most of these options, which are almost all for black. White fails to give black any real problems. If you want to prove an advantage: you need to give black the game he wants with 2.e5.
My advice is that instead of learning all of this theory; you just pick one variation in the alekhine to learn well. 2.Nc3 gives black all the options and more often than not, he will be much more prepared than you.
there is nothing wrong with this for white, who can now play the g3 vienna , or the vienna gambit, or play three knights or the vienna bishop's opening. Stylistically , i find it somewhat peculiar for a player who wants an alekhine game to want to enter conventional king pawn lines where white calls most of the shots in the position. Who cares if White's opening advantage is slightly lower than in other lines? black didnt exactly play 1.nf6 to equalize the fastest to begin with. Most likely you will 2...d5 or even a pirc transposition with 2...d6 for black to get his fighting game.
Yes apparently Alekhine himself played it against sämisch.
You are totally right. I just found this game, played in 1923.
Black didn't get any problems whatsoever. Seems like a solid choice. 👍