Alekhine Defense: Tate Variation - Two Pawns Attack
Alekhine Defense: Two Pawns Attack, Tate Variation
Definition
The Tate Variation is a branch of the Alekhine Defense arising after the
moves
1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.c4 Nb6 4.d4 d6 5.f4.
• “Two Pawns Attack” refers to White’s aggressive advance of the
e- and c- pawns to e5 and c4, seizing space and forcing
Black’s knight to the rim.
• “Tate” (pronounced “tayt”) honors the American master
James Tate, who popularized 5.f4 in the mid-20th
century.
Typical Move Order
- 1.e4 Nf6
- 2.e5 Nd5
- 3.c4 Nb6 (Black is harassed again and relocates the knight.)
- 4.d4 d6 (targeting the advanced e-pawn)
- 5.f4 (Tate’s key idea – buttressing e5 and preparing an attack)
-
Afterwards Black usually chooses between:
• 5…g6 6.Nc3 Bg7 7.Be3 0-0 (keeping tension)
• 5…dxe5 6.fxe5 Nc6 (liquidating the centre early)
Strategic Themes
- Space & Central Clamp. After 5.f4 White controls e5, d4 and c5, making it hard for Black to counter in the centre.
- Open f-file. If Black exchanges on e5, the recapture with f4×e5 opens the f-file for White’s rook, creating attacking chances against f7.
- Pawn Structure Imbalance. White’s pawn wedge
e5–f4–c4 can overextend; Black aims to undermine it with …c5, …dxe5 or
…f6.
Success often hinges on whether Black can break with …c5 before White completes development. - Piece Activity vs. Pawn Weaknesses. Knights on c3 and f3 plus bishops on e3/g2 (after a fianchetto) give White dynamic play, but the pawns on e5 and c4 can become targets in endgames.
Historical Notes
• James Tate employed the line in U.S. tournaments during the 1940-50s,
scoring several miniature wins that drew attention to the idea of 5.f4.
• The variation was later adopted by grandmasters such as
Yasser Seirawan, Viktor Alburt, and
Lev Alburt, who valued its surprise factor.
• While rare in modern elite play, it remains a favorite weapon in rapid
and blitz, where forcing Black onto unfamiliar ground can pay dividends.
Illustrative Game
Alburt – Ivanović, Novi Sad 1979
The U.S. grandmaster demonstrates the attacking potential of the open
f-file:
[[Pgn|1.e4|Nf6 2.e5|Nd5 3.c4|Nb6 4.d4|d6 5.f4|dxe5 6.fxe5|Nc6 7.Nf3|Bg4
8.Be3|e6 9.Nc3|Be7 10.Be2|0-0 11.0-0|f6 12.exf6|Bxf6 13.Ne4|Bxf3
14.Nxf6+|Qxf6 15.Rxf3|Qe7 16.Qe1|e5 17.d5|Nd4 18.Bxd4|exd4 19.Qd2|Rae8
20.Rxf8+|Kxf8 21.Rf1+|Kg8 22.Bg4| 1-0|arrows|f1f7,d5d6|squares|e5,f7]]
Example Position to Visualize
After 5…g6 6.Nc3 Bg7 7.Be3 0-0 8.Nf3, a typical middlegame position features:
- White pawns: a2, b2, c4, d4, e5, f4, g2, h2
- Black pawns: a7, b7, c7, d6, e7, f7, g6, h7
- White pieces: king on e1, queen on d1, rooks a1/h1, knights c3/f3, bishops c1/e3
- Black pieces: king g8, queen d8, rooks a8/f8, knights b6/d7, bishops c8/g7
Black eyes …c5 or …dxe5 breaks; White plans Qd2, 0-0, and maybe h2-h3 & g2-g4 to storm the kingside.
Interesting Facts & Anecdotes
- The line appeals to players who enjoy King’s Gambit–style positions but want to start with 1.e4 against the hyper-modern Alekhine.
- Many database statistics show that club-level players score above 55 % with the Tate Variation, partly because Black mis-handles the unfamiliar pawn storm.
- A young Magnus Carlsen tried the Black side (age 12) in the Norwegian League 2003, only to be caught off-guard by 5.f4 and forced to sacrifice a pawn for counterplay.
- Because 5.f4 blocks the f--pawn, some engines initially distrust the variation, yet modern neural network engines rate the position roughly equal with precise play from both sides.
When to Use It
Choose the Tate Variation if you:
- Like grabbing space and dictating the character of the game early.
- Enjoy open f-file attacks and pawn storms.
- Don’t mind defending an extended centre in the late middlegame.