Alekhine's Defense, Mokele Mbembe, Vavra Defense
Alekhine’s Defense
Definition
Alekhine’s Defense is the response 1…Nf6 to White’s king-pawn opening 1. e4. Black immediately attacks the e-pawn, tempting it to advance and over-extend. It is named after the fourth World Champion, Alexander Alekhine, who introduced it into top-level practice in 1921 (Alekhine–Endre Steiner, Budapest).
How the Opening Unfolds
- 1. e4 Nf6 – Black attacks e4.
- 2. e5 Nd5 – White gains space; the knight retreats to d5.
- From here the main branches are:
- 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3 g6 (Modern/Exchange Variation)
- 3. c4 Nb6 4. d4 d6 5. f4 (Four Pawns Attack)
- 3. Nc3 Nxc3 4. dxc3 (Exchange Variation)
Strategic Significance
Alekhine’s Defense is a hyper-modern weapon: Black allows White to occupy the centre with pawns, intending to undermine and attack it later. Typical strategic themes include:
- Provoking pawn advances (e4–e5, c2–c4, f2–f4) that create long-term targets.
- Piece activity over structure; Black’s minor pieces often become very active on half-open files and diagonals.
- Pawn breaks …d6 and …e5 (or …c5) aimed at eroding White’s big centre.
Model Games
- Fischer – Benko, US Championship 1963/64
Fischer uncorked the sharp Four Pawns Attack but Benko neutralised it and drew after massive simplifications. - Karpov – Timman, Bugojno 1984
Demonstrates typical black counter-play in the Modern Variation.
Interesting Facts & Anecdotes
- Alekhine himself scored +7 =3 –0 with the opening in tournament play before it became fashionable.
- During the 1972 Fischer–Spassky match, Fischer briefly considered springing Alekhine’s Defense with Black but never got the opportunity.
- The aggressive Four Pawns Attack appeals to tacticians; the more restrained Exchange Variation is often favoured by positional players such as Karpov.
Mokele Mbembe Variation
Definition
The Mokele Mbembe Variation is an unorthodox branch of the Modern Defense arising after:
1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 c5 4. d5 Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 d6
It is named—tongue-in-cheek—after Mokele-mbembe, a mythical Congolese river monster, following the zoological tradition of Modern-Defense offshoots (e.g., Pterodactyl, Hippopotamus).
Key Ideas
- Exchange on c3: By giving up the dark-squared bishop, Black inflicts doubled c-pawns and hopes to undermine White’s centre later with …e6 or …f5.
- Flexible structure: Black delays committing the king’s knight, often playing …Nf6 only after the centre is clarified.
- Counter-punching on the dark squares: …Qa5 or …Nf6–g4 put pressure on c3, d4 and e5.
Strategic & Historical Notes
The variation is extremely rare in grand-master praxis but popular in online blitz, where surprise value is high. Its first published mention appeared in 2003 in Unorthodox Chess Openings by Schiller & Watson.
Illustrative Line
White’s extra space is balanced by structural weaknesses (doubled c-pawns) and Black’s pressure along the a1–h8 diagonal.
Fun Tidbits
- Players who enjoy the Hippopotamus Setup often add Mokele Mbembe to their repertoire—it can transpose into a “hippo” if Black later plays …e6, …Ne7, …d6, …Nd7.
- The name was coined on an Internet discussion forum; when asked why, the author replied, “Because the position is prehistoric and scary if you meet it for the first time!”
- International Master Cyrus Lakdawala once used it in a simultaneous exhibition, claiming the psychological effect of the name alone was worth half a pawn.
Vavra Defense
Definition
The Vavra Defense is the little-known line 1. e4 c6 2. d4 Qa5!?—an eccentric sideline of the Caro-Kann in which Black immediately pins the d-pawn and eyes the e-pawn with the queen. It is attributed to Czech player Josef Vávra, who explored the idea in correspondence games during the 1950s.
Typical Continuations
- 3. Nc3 d5 – Black strives for standard Caro-Kann structures while keeping the queen active.
- 3. Bd2 Qb6 – The queen swings to b6, pressuring d4 and b2.
- 3. Nf3 d5 4. exd5 Nf6 – Leads to offbeat French-like positions.
Strategic Themes
- Early queen activity: Black accepts a slight loss of time but hopes to disrupt White’s natural development.
- Flexibility: Unlike most Caro-Kanns, the bishop on c8 may emerge via …Bg4 or …Bf5 without being blocked by …e6.
- Psychological weapon: Because the move 2…Qa5 appears illogical to the unprepared, it often induces long thinks or inaccurate replies.
Sample Game
B. Vavra – J. Smejkal, Prague Correspondence 1956
Historical & Practical Notes
- The defense never broke into mainstream theory but appears sporadically in Czech and Slovak databases from the 1960-70s.
- Grandmaster Tony Miles briefly experimented with 2…Qa5 in British league play, calling it “a St. George done backward.”
- Modern engines rate the line around –0.20 to –0.10 after best play—respectable but not fully equal. Nevertheless it remains a surprise weapon for rapid and blitz.
Trivia
- Because the queen zigzags between a5, b6, and a6, some club players jokingly call this the “Bohemian Rhapsody” of openings.
- When asked about the opening, IM John Shaw quipped: “If you can spell it—use it!”