Alekhine: Four Pawns Attack, 6...c5

Alekhine: Four Pawns Attack, 6…c5

Definition

The line 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. f4 dxe5 6. fxe5 c5 is one of the critical replies for Black in the Four Pawns Attack of the Alekhine Defence. Classified in ECO as B05, it tests White’s ambitious central pawn mass by striking immediately with …c5, forcing the tension in the center before White has consolidated.

Move Order

The baseline sequence is:

• 1. e4 Nf6
• 2. e5 Nd5
• 3. d4 d6
• 4. c4 Nb6
• 5. f4 dxe5
• 6. fxe5 c5 ← the key move of this variation

From here the main branches are:

1. 7. d5 (most common) – Black can reply 7…g6 or 7…e6 with dynamic play.
2. 7. Nf3 – a calmer setup, but 7…cxd4 8. Bd3 Nc6 again challenges the center.
3. 7. dxc5 (Q) – greedy, allowing 7…Qxd1+ 8. Kxd1 Na4 with excellent piece activity.

Strategic Ideas

• For White
  • Push the big pawn center (e5–d4–c4–f4) to cramp Black.
  • Use space to develop pieces behind the pawns, often with Ng1–f3, Bc1–e3, and queenside castling.
  • If Black over-presses, convert the central majority into a passed pawn or kingside attack.
• For Black
  • Challenge the center immediately with …c5 and later …Nc6, …g6, and …Bg7.
  • Exploit the holes created by White’s advanced pawns, especially the d4 and e5 squares once pawns are exchanged.
  • Seek endgames where the isolated or over-extended white pawns become weaknesses.

Historical Background

Alexander Alekhine introduced his eponymous defence in the 1920s, provoking the opponent’s pawns forward to later undermine them. The Four Pawns Attack was popularised by Soviet theoreticians in the mid-20th century as the most direct attempt to refute Alekhine’s concept. The …c5 break became the standard counter, advocated by players such as Ernst Grünfeld, and later refined by Lev Alburt and Viktor Korchnoi.

Typical Plans for White

• After 7.d5 g6 8.Nc3 Bg7 9.Nf3 Bg4, White may play 10.Bf4 or 10.Qe2 followed by 0-0-0, retaining the central wedge.
• If Black exchanges on d4 and e5, White often puts a knight on d5 or e6, supported by the f- and c-pawns.

Typical Plans for Black

• Pressure the d4 pawn with …Nc6, …Bg7, and sometimes …Bg4 pinning the knight on f3.
• Break with …f6 in some lines, undermining e5 and opening the f-file.
• Long-term: swap queens and head for an ending where White’s advanced pawns become targets on light squares.

Illustrative Games

• Fischer – Korchnoi, Havana Olympiad 1966
  Korchnoi’s energetic …c5 setup neutralised Fischer’s space and eventually won a pawn.
• Kasparov – Short, Linares 1993
  Kasparov chose the sideline 7.Nf3 and demonstrated how rapid development can pose problems for Black’s queenside.

Replay the basic opening moves:

Interesting Facts & Anecdotes

• The move 6…c5 was once thought dubious because it apparently allows 7.dxc5, but modern engines show Black obtains excellent compensation after 7…Qxd1+.
• Viktor Korchnoi employed this line well into his 70s, calling it “my trusty weapon against central optimists.”
• In blitz, grandmasters sometimes transpose into the Benoni by playing …c5 and …e6 rapidly, turning White’s space advantage into targets.