Alekhine's defence

64squaresofpain View Profile

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25 Jun '16 00:32

64squaresofpain View Profile

The drunk knight

Joined: 02 Sep '12
Moves: 59218

25 Jun '16 00:32

Anyone have any good examples of this defence working?

I understand the theory, tempt the pawns forward then undermine the central pawns from the flanks,
but I'd like to see good examples of this, may help convince me to try it out.

Here's a bit of a wild game of my own finished recently, where I play White vs. this defence.
Wonder how many games has seen a King on his third rank by move 16, and seem quite safe.

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Paul Leggett
Chess Librarian
The Stacks
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113547
26 Jun '16 15:09
Originally posted by 64squaresofpain
Anyone have any good examples of this defence working?

I understand the theory, tempt the pawns forward then undermine the central pawns from the flanks,
but I'd like to see good examples of this, may help convince me to try it out.

Here's a bit of a wild game of my own finished recently, where I play White vs. this defence.
Wonder how many g ...[text shortened]... is going to utilise the light squares d5, e6 and f7 to ensure material is won... 1-0} 1-0[/pgn]
I recommend the games of GM Edvins Kengis. At one point, he played something like 25 games using Alekhine's Defense over a period of 2 years or so against quality opposition, and did not lose a single one.

To play that many games in a row against 1. e4 and against GM/IM opposition and not lose a single game is a remarkable performance.
Tommovich
Joined
03 Jul '13
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84723
26 Jun '16 19:05
Originally posted by Paul Leggett
I recommend the games of GM Edvins Kengis. At one point, he played something like 25 games using Alekhine's Defense over a period of 2 years or so against quality opposition, and did not lose a single one.

To play that many games in a row against 1. e4 and against GM/IM opposition and not lose a single game is a remarkable performance.
Remarkable indeed, although as a GM he knows what he's doing.
I tried playing Alekhine's Defence a while back, but have ditched it now.
I'm sure with accurate play it's a sound defence, but I was left with the impression that it's the sort of opening that just one small slip can leave you getting punished quite severely.
And at my level, small slips (and larger ones as well of course!) are inevitable.
I feel that with most other openings, small slips don't necessarily have such potentially drastic consequences (although of course there are plenty of exceptions, the King's Gambit being one.)
64squaresofpain
The drunk knight
Stuck on g1
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26 Jun '16 21:571 edit
Originally posted by Paul Leggett
I recommend the games of GM Edvins Kengis. At one point, he played something like 25 games using Alekhine's Defense over a period of 2 years or so against quality opposition, and did not lose a single one.

To play that many games in a row against 1. e4 and against GM/IM opposition and not lose a single game is a remarkable performance.
A blast from the past! Thread 118974

Did you get to be in touch with him in the end?
I'll see what good examples I can get and try them out 🙂

Edit: Oh and thanks for the tip
Paul Leggett
Chess Librarian
The Stacks
Joined
21 Aug '09
Moves
113547
27 Jun '16 00:36
Originally posted by 64squaresofpain
A blast from the past! Thread 118974

Did you get to be in touch with him in the end?
I'll see what good examples I can get and try them out 🙂

Edit: Oh and thanks for the tip
I remembered the thread, but did not remember the details.

I played it for awhile and did very well OTB, but I avoided playing it here because I used Rybka when putting together my OTB prep, which would be against the TOS.

(Nowadays all opening books are heavily computer-assisted, but at least it isn't me doing it, and I can't separate the computer from the GM unless they point it out.)

The main reason I quit playing it was because players stopped playing 2, e5 against me, and the game transposed into openings I did not want to play.

I still haven't been in touch with him, but GM Lars Bo Hansen now lives in my hometown, and he said he would put some feelers out for me.

Paul

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Alekhine's defence