Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, Alekhine

Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, Alekhine System

Definition

The Alekhine System of the Central Variation in the Queen's Gambit Accepted (QGA) arises after the moves:

• 1. d4 d5
• 2. c4 dxc4 (the Queen’s Gambit Accepted)
• 3. e4 e5

White immediately seizes the centre with 3.e4, while Black counter-strikes at once with 3…e5—a plan championed by the fourth World Champion, Alexander Alekhine, whose analytical work in the 1920s popularised the line.

Strategic Ideas

• Central Tension: After 3…e5, the position resembles an Open Game in the centre of a Queen’s Pawn opening. Both pawns on e4 and e5 are often exchanged, opening files for rapid piece development.
• Pawn Sacrifice Psychology: Black is willing to concede the c4-pawn permanently or temporarily to achieve piece play and undermine White’s centre.
• Piece Activity vs. Material: White usually regains the c-pawn but must beware of Black’s active minor pieces and pressure on d4 and e4.
• King Safety: Because the centre opens early, both sides aim to castle quickly; delaying can be fatal in sharp variations.

Typical Continuations

One of Alekhine’s favourite continuations went:

After 4.Nf3 exd4 5.Bxc4 Nc6, the struggle revolves around tempo and development. White is a pawn down but controls more space; Black banks on a lead in development and pressure on d4/e4.

Plans for Each Side

• White
  1. Regain the c4-pawn with Bxc4 (sometimes Qe2+ followed by Qxc4).
  2. Maintain an imposing pawn centre with d4–e4, or transform it into a mobile duo with d5 and e5 thrusts.
  3. Exploit the semi-open d- and e-files for rook activity once the queens come off.
• Black
  1. Target the d4/e4 pawns with …Nc6, …Bg4, and …Qf6 or …Bb4+.
  2. Use the open e-file to generate tactical threats before White completes development.
  3. If material is restored, transition into an IQP (Isolated Queen’s Pawn) middlegame where piece activity compensates for structural weaknesses.

Historical Significance

Alekhine first demonstrated the power of 3…e5 in exhibitions and elite tournaments throughout the 1920s. His analyses influenced both sides of the board:

• Before his work, 3…Nf6 and 3…c5 were considered the principal replies. Alekhine’s emphasis on immediate central counter-attack reshaped QGA theory.
• The line experienced a renaissance in the 1980s and 1990s through the games of Viktor Korchnoi and, later, Alexei Shirov, who used it as Black to unbalance quieter players.

Illustrative Games

• Alekhine – Samisch, Baden-Baden 1925: Alekhine, playing White, calmly regained the pawn and converted an endgame advantage—proof that he trusted the line for both colors.
• Kasparov – Short, Linares 1990: Short unleashed the modern treatment 3…e5, achieving dynamic equality before stumbling later in a tactical melee.

Interesting Facts

• The eco code for the line is D26.
• In several blitz exhibitions, Alekhine challenged spectators to “crack” his 3…e5 defence in return for a signed photograph—few succeeded.
• Because both colours often castle opposite sides in some sub-lines, attacking play can eclipse the early pawn grab that defines the QGA in the public mind.