Alekhine's Defense: Two Pawns, Lasker, Mikėnas Gambit
Alekhine’s Defense
Definition
A hypermodern opening for Black that begins 1.e4 Nf6. By immediately attacking White’s pawn and inviting it to advance, Black seeks to provoke a broad pawn center that can later be undermined.
Typical Move-Order
- e4 Nf6
- e5 Nd5
- d4 d6 (one of many possibilities)
Strategic Ideas
- Provocation: Black tempts the e-pawn forward to e5, drawing it away from its comrades and creating targets.
- Piece Play vs. Pawn Centre: White usually gains space; Black counters by striking at the center with …d6, …c5, …e6, or …g6, depending on the chosen system.
- Flexible Structure: Because Black delays committing the c- and e-pawns, the defence can transpose into structures resembling the French, Pirc, or even Queen’s Indian.
Historical Significance
Named after World Champion Alexander Alekhine, who unveiled it in the 1921 grand-master tournament in Budapest. Though considered provocative at the time, it has been adopted by many elite players, including Fischer, Korchnoi, and more recently Nakamura.
Illustrative Game
Fischer – Benko, Monaco 1967: 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 g6 5.Bc4 Nb6 6.Bb3 Bg7 7.Qe2 0-0 8.h3 Nc6 9.c3 a5 10.a4 dxe5 and Benko eventually neutralised Fischer’s centre and won an ending a pawn up.
Interesting Facts
- Computer engines initially disliked Alekhine’s Defense but modern neural-network engines consider it fully sound at the highest level.
- Alekhine himself used the opening only sporadically in world-championship play, preferring 1…e5 against Capablanca (1927).
Two Pawns Attack (Alekhine’s Defense)
Definition
A sharp, space-gaining line against Alekhine’s Defense in which White advances both the e- and c-pawns:
- e4 Nf6
- e5 Nd5
- c4 Nb6
- d4 …
White strengthens the center with two pawns on e5 and c4 (hence “Two Pawns”), aiming for a bind reminiscent of the Maróczy structure.
Main Continuations
- 4…d6 5.f4 g6 – the most popular: Black fianchettoes and chips away with …c5 and …dxe5.
- 4…d6 5.f4 dxe5 6.fxe5 Nc6 – immediate liquidation.
- 4…g6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.c5 – White grabs even more space.
Strategic Themes
- White’s space advantage restricts Black pieces, but the advanced pawns can become fixed targets.
- Black relies on breaks with …d6-dxe5 and …c5 to undermine the bulky centre.
Historical Note
The line was heavily analysed in the 1920s–30s; it served as the backbone of the Alekhine v. Euwe world-championship preparation (1935). Modern grandmasters such as Vachier-Lagrave and Grischuk still test it in rapid and blitz.
Example Fragment
After 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.c4 Nb6 4.d4 d6 5.f4 g6 6.Nc3 Bg7 7.Be3 0-0 8.Qd2 dxe5 9.fxe5 Nc6, both sides have chances; engines consider the position roughly equal.
Lasker Variation (Queen’s Gambit Declined)
Definition
A solid yet dynamic antidote to 4.Bg5 in the Queen’s Gambit Declined, introduced by World Champion Emanuel Lasker.
- d4 d5
Key Ideas
- Exchange Simplification: Black willingly offers piece exchanges to relieve the cramp typical of the QGD.
- Central Breaks: After 8.Bxe7 Qxe7, Black often plays …c5 and …dxc4, leading to symmetric—but active—structures.
- Psychological Weapon: Against aggressive players who hope for rich middlegames, the Lasker Variation can steer the game toward equal but playable endgames.
Historical Significance
Lasker debuted his idea in his 1894 world-championship match versus Steinitz. It remained an elite main line for over a century, featuring in Botvinnik–Smyslov, Petrosian–Spassky, and Karpov–Kasparov matches.
Model Game
Kasparov – Karpov, World Ch. (15) 1986: Karpov equalised cleanly with the Lasker, demonstrating its viability even at the very highest stakes.
Trivia
- The move 7…Ne4 appears “anti-positional” (knight to the edge of the center), but it perfectly times the freeing operation …c5.
- Modern engines rate the line ≈0.00, validating Lasker’s century-old concept.
Mikėnas Variation
Definition
Two distinct but related systems carry Vytautas Mikėnas’s name. The most common is the Mikėnas Attack in the English Opening:
- c4 Nf6
- Nc3 e6
- e4 …
White immediately claims the centre, converting an English into something akin to a reversed Sicilian.
Alternate Usage
Some authors also call 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 c5 the Mikėnas Variation of the Benoni, but the “English” line above is more widely accepted.
Strategic Themes
- Central Expansion: After 3.e4, White may follow with d4, f4, and Nf3, gaining a large pawn phalanx.
- Transpositional Maze: Depending on Black’s reply, play can transpose to the King’s Indian, Benoni, Sicilian Kan (reversed), or pure English structures.
Main Black Replies
- 3…d5 4.e5 d4 – leads to the Mikėnas Gambit (see below).
- 3…c5 4.e5 Ng8 – the Keres Defence.
- 3…Bb4 – inviting doubled c-pawns and sharp play.
Historical Note
Lithuanian GM Vytautas Mikėnas championed these set-ups in the 1930s-50s, surprising contemporaries with flexible move-orders.
Example Miniature
Mikėnas – Bondarevsky, USSR Champ. 1938: 1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e6 3.e4 d5 4.e5 d4 5.exf6 dxc3 6.dxc3 Qxd1+ 7.Kxd1 and Mikėnas’s king walked to c2; he later won, inspiring faith in the line.
Mikėnas Gambit
Definition
A daring pawn sacrifice arising most often from the English-Opening move-order above:
- c4 Nf6
- Nc3 e6
- e4 d5
- e5 d4
- exf6 dxc3
White gives up the c-pawn (and sometimes the d-pawn) to wreck Black’s pawn structure and seize long-term initiative.
Key Tactical Motifs
- After 6.bxc3 Qxf6 7.d4, White enjoys two central pawns, the bishop pair, and open lines for rapid development.
- Black’s extra pawn is doubled and often backward; the queen can become exposed on f6.
Theory Snapshot
Engines rate the position roughly equal (≈0.20 for White), endorsing the gambit as fully playable in classical chess.
Sample Continuation
Both sides are fully mobilised; the middlegame is double-edged.
Anecdote
Legend has it that Mikėnas once muttered, “I’d rather sacrifice a pawn than a good idea,” when asked why he insisted on 5.exf6, coining an aphorism still quoted in Baltic chess circles.