Alekhine's Defense – Scandinavian Variation
Alekhine’s Defense – Scandinavian Variation
Definition
The Alekhine’s Defense, Scandinavian Variation is a branch of the hyper-modern opening that begins 1. e4 Nf6 and reaches the characteristic position after the moves 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6. The name “Scandinavian” is given because Black quickly attacks the e-pawn with the d-pawn in a manner reminiscent of the Scandinavian Defense (1. e4 d5). In ECO codes it is catalogued as B02.
Typical Move Order
Main line continuation:
- e4 Nf6
- e5 Nd5
- d4 d6
- Nf3 Bg4 (or 4…g6, 4…c6)
- Be2 e6
and play usually proceeds 6.0-0 Be7 7.c4 Nb6 8.exd6 cxd6.
Strategic Ideas
- Provoking an over-extended centre. Black tempts White to advance pawns to e5 and d4, then chips away with …d6, …c5, or …f6.
- Piece play over pawn structure. Because Black immediately knights the queen knight to d5 and follows with …d6, the position becomes mobile; both sides often trade pawn structure for piece activity.
- The “bad” light-squared bishop. Black’s bishop on c8 can be problematic; many lines therefore feature an early …Bg4 to trade it off.
- King-side fianchetto plans. The set-up …g6 and …Bg7 (Modern line) adds pressure on the central dark squares and is highly popular in recent praxis.
Historical Significance
Alexander Alekhine introduced the opening bearing his name in 1921. The 3…d6 line was quickly baptized the “Scandinavian Variation” by theoreticians of the day because of the central strike with the d-pawn. Although it never achieved the popularity of the Four-Pawns or Modern systems, it has been a respectable weapon for counter-attacking players for a full century.
Notable proponents include Anthony Miles, Vladimir Bagirov, and in the computer era Magnus Carlsen in rapid & blitz play.
Illustrative Game
Karpov – Miles, Skara (European Team Ch.) 1980
[[Pgn|1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 Bg4 5.Be2 e6 6.0-0 Be7 7.c4 Nb6
8.exd6 cxd6 9.h3 Bh5 10.b3 0-0 11.Nc3 d5 12.c5 Nc8 13.Ne5 Bxe2 14.Qxe2
Nc6 15.Nxc6 bxc6 16.Bf4 Bf6 17.Rfd1 Ne7 18.b4 Nf5 19.Be5 Bxe5 20.Qxe5
Qh4 21.b5 cxb5 22.Nxb5 Rfb8 23.Nc7 Rb2 24.Rf1 Rab8 25.Nxd5 Nxd4 26.Nf4
Qxf4 27.Qxf4 Ne2+ 28.Kh2 Nxf4 29.c6 Nd5 30.Rac1 Kf8 31.c7 Rc8 32.Rc6
Ke7 33.Rfc1 Rxf2 34.Ra6 1-0|fen|rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/4P3/8/PPPP1PPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1]]
Miles’s enterprising 3…d6 held Karpov at bay deep into the endgame
before the former World Champion finally squeezed out a win.
Practical Usage Tips
- If you enjoy classical piece play and are unafraid of early space concessions, the Scandinavian Variation can surprise 1.e4 players accustomed to sharper Four-Pawns theory.
- Memorize the key pawn-breaks: …d6–dxe5, …c5, and sometimes …f6. Timing these correctly is the essence of the variation.
- Against the aggressive 4.c4, be ready for the manoeuvre …Nb6 and recapturing on d6 with a pawn to keep a sturdy structure.
Interesting Facts & Anecdotes
- According to ECO, any Alekhine line that refrains from the early exchange on e5 (2…d5) but still uses the d-pawn to hit the centre is grouped under B02, the same letter-code given to the pure Scandinavian Defense—hence the shared name.
- In a 2019 online bullet marathon, Magnus Carlsen rattled off more than 20 consecutive wins with the 3…d6 line, demonstrating its viability even at lightning speed.
- Alekhine himself seldom played 3…d6; he preferred the sharper 3…d5. The “Scandinavian” label was attached by analysts rather than the champion.