Alekhines Defense Steiner Variation - Two Pawns
Alekhine’s Defense – Two Pawns Attack, Steiner Variation
Definition
The Steiner Variation is a branch of the Two Pawns Attack in Alekhine’s Defense that arises after the moves 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. c4 Nb6 4. c5 Nc6. In this line Black immediately develops the queen’s knight to c6, pressuring the d4-square and preparing …d6 to undermine White’s advanced e- and c-pawns.
Typical Move Order
- e4 Nf6
- e5 Nd5
- c4 Nb6
- c5 Nc6
- d4 d6
- cxb6 axb6
- exd6 Qxd6
By move 7 both sides have unbalanced pawn structures: White’s c-pawn has disappeared but he retains the cramping pawn on e5; Black enjoys the Alekhine bishop
on f8 and half-open a-file
pressure.
Strategic Themes
- Central tug-of-war: White tries to maintain the advanced e5-pawn and eventually expand with d4-d5. Black hopes to chip away with …d6 followed by …dxe5 or …dxc5.
- Piece activity vs. pawn space: White has more territory, but Black’s pieces often become very active on the light squares once the center clarifies.
- Minor-piece imbalances: The early pawn trades can leave Black with the bishop pair, a recurring asset in open middlegames.
- Queenside pressure: After …axb6 Black’s rook can later occupy a8 and eye the a- and b-files, echoing Sicilian-style counterplay.
Historical & Naming Notes
The variation is named after the Austrian-American master Hermann Steiner (1905-1955), U.S. Champion in 1948 and a noted promoter of aggressive, unorthodox play in the Los Angeles chess scene. Steiner experimented with the early …Nc6 idea in casual and exhibition games of the 1930s, and it appeared in master tournaments soon thereafter.
ECO (Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings) classifies the line as B02. While never as popular as the Four-Pawns Attack or the Modern Variation, the Steiner line remains a surprise weapon that sidesteps heavily analysed main lines such as 4…d6 (Lasker Variation) or 4…e6.
Illustrative Example
This model game (White–club player vs. Black–engine analysis, 2023) shows typical motifs:
- Black’s pieces spring to life after …Qxd6, and the rook lift to d8/d1 features prominently.
- White’s central pawns eventually dissolve, leaving Black with the safer king and healthier structure.
Practical Tips
- For White: Be ready to sacrifice the c-pawn (as shown) rather than retreat it passively. Rapid development with Nc3, Nf3 and Be3 is essential to justify the space advantage.
- For Black: Strike at the center quickly—…d6 is almost automatic. Once the position opens, look for tactics based on …Bxc5, …Qxd4, or …Nb4, exploiting the temporarily loose white pawns.
- Move-order finesse: Some players insert 4…Nd5 (Chase Variation) before …Nc6. The immediate 4…Nc6 is the pure Steiner move and avoids unnecessary knight shuffling.
Interesting Facts
- Because the Two Pawns Attack is less fashionable than the Four Pawns, databases contain far fewer
engine-perfect
games, making the Steiner an attractive weapon in correspondence or rapid time controls. - Hermann Steiner was also a Hollywood chess consultant; he famously organized the 1945 Hollywood Pan-American tournament in which a young Samuel Reshevsky dazzled the film community.
- Modern engines give 4…Nc6 a perfectly respectable evaluation (≈ 0.00 to +0.20 for White), underscoring that stylistic preferences—not objective refutation—keep the line in the shadows.