Alekhine: Modern, Fianchetto, 5.Bc4 Nb6 6.Bb3 Bg7

Alekhine Defense – Modern Variation

Definition

The Modern Variation of the Alekhine Defense arises after the moves 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3 g6. Black delays any immediate attack on White’s center and instead prepares to undermine it later from a flexible, hyper-modern setup that includes a kingside fianchetto.

Usage and Typical Move-Orders

• Most common continuation: 5. Bc4 Nb6 6. Bb3 Bg7 (see third entry below).
• Alternative tries for White include 5. exd6, 5. h3, or 5. Be2, each leading to different pawn-structures and middlegame plans.
• Black’s setup can transpose into structures resembling the Pirc, King’s Indian, or Benoni, giving players a wide strategic pallet.

Strategic Significance

By allowing White to build a broad pawn center with e5 and d4, Black hopes later to provoke weaknesses and counter-attack the base of the center with …c5, …dxe5, or …f6. The fianchettoed bishop on g7 becomes a long-range piece pointing at the heart of White’s position.

Model Game

Mills – Alekhine, Blindfold Simul, New York 1924 Although played in a simultaneous exhibition, this miniature by the fourth World Champion himself illustrates the key idea: the g7-bishop and timely …c5 shattered White’s proud center.

Interesting Facts

• The name “Modern” stems from the 1920s, when Alekhine and his contemporaries considered a kingside fianchetto a cutting-edge idea in this opening.
• Grandmasters Shabalov, Beliavsky, and Baburin have contributed important analytical novelties to this line since the 1990s.

Fianchetto

Definition

A fianchetto (Italian for “little flank”) is a development scheme in which a bishop is placed on a long diagonal after an adjacent pawn moves one square:

• g-pawn → g3 followed by Bg2, or …g6 followed by …Bg7
• b-pawn → b3 followed by Bb2, or …b6 followed by …Bb7

How It Is Used

The bishop exerts long-range pressure, often targeting the center or the opponent’s king. A fianchetto is frequently combined with a quick castle to the same side, providing king safety behind the fianchetto pawn chain.

Strategic Implications

1. Control of Key Diagonals – The fianchettoed bishop can dominate light or dark squares deep into enemy territory.
2. Hyper-modern Philosophy – Players concede the center temporarily, expecting to attack it later from a distance.
3. Structural Weakness – If the bishop is traded, the squares it once guarded (f3/g2/h3, or c6/b7/a6, etc.) can become targets.

Famous Examples

• Sicilian Dragon: …g6 and …Bg7 spearhead Black’s counterplay against White’s center.
• King’s Indian Defense: Black’s dark-squared bishop on g7 supports a thematic …e5 or …c5 break.
• English Opening: White often double-fianchettos both bishops, leading to a flexible, strategic battle.

Historical Anecdote

The oldest recorded fianchetto dates back to the Göttingen Manuscript (circa 1490), proving that the concept pre-dates modern chess rules. In the 20th century, Mikhail Botvinnik’s double-fianchetto system versus the King’s Indian became a cornerstone of opening theory.

5.Bc4 Nb6 6.Bb3 Bg7 (Alekhine Defense, Modern – Fianchetto Line)

Move Sequence and Position

The full diagram position arises after: 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6  4. Nf3 g6 5. Bc4 Nb6 6. Bb3 Bg7. White’s bishop pirouette forces the black knight to an awkward square, while Black completes the kingside fianchetto.

Key Ideas for Each Side

• White
  • Maintain the advanced e5-pawn and support it with c4 or Re1.
  • Consider an early a4 to fix the knight on b6.
  • Target the d6-pawn with Qe2, Bf4, or Nc3–b5 motifs.
• Black
  • Strike at the center with …dxe5 or …c5 when convenient.
  • Follow up with …Nc6, …Bg4, or …0-0, choosing plans based on White’s setup.
  • Use the g7-bishop to pressure the e5-pawn and the a1–h8 diagonal.

Typical Plans

The line often transposes to Benoni-like pawn structures after …dxe5 dxe5 and …c5, or to King’s Indian structures after …0-0 and …Nc6. Both players must gauge the timing of pawn breaks carefully.

Illustrative Game

Karpov – Velimirović, Skopje 1972. White’s ambitious 7. Ng5!? led to a sharp struggle; Black eventually equalized by timely central breaks, highlighting the dynamic balance of the line.

Trivia

• This variation is catalogued as ECO code B04.
• Some databases label it “Alekhine: Modern, Fianchetto” to distinguish it from the older 4…Bg4 classical systems.
• Grandmaster Ernst Gruenfeld (better known for his own defense!) employed the line in Vienna 1922, one of the first tournament games featuring …g6 in the Alekhine.