Chess Openings Lab
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Alekhine Defense: Four Pawns Attack

The Four Pawns Attack is 4.c4 Nb6 5.f4, where White adds a fourth pawn to the center with c4, d4, e5 and f4 side by side. White wants to crush Black with space; Black wants to hit that wall with pieces and pawn breaks before it starts rolling.

Moves
1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.c4 Nb6 5.f4
ECO
B03
Engine
+0.64 · a slight edge for White (Stockfish 17.1, depth 20)
Played
1,604 games in our lichess sample
White scores
48.1%

Key ideas for both sides

White

  • After 5...dxe5 recapture 6.fxe5 to keep the e5 spearhead, then develop with Be3, Nc3 and Nf3.
  • Hold d4 at all costs; if it falls, the whole chain collapses and the king on e1 becomes exposed.
  • Look for d5 to hit a knight on c6, or c5 to drive the b6 knight away, but only with pieces ready behind.

Black

  • Take on e5 first and develop with ...Nc6 and ...Bf5, hitting d4 and grabbing the b1-h7 diagonal.
  • Play ...e6, ...Be7 and short castling, then strike with ...f6 or ...c5 to open lines against the stretched pawns.
  • Consider ...Qd7 and long castling to stack pressure on the d-file against d4.

Plans and pawn structure

The pawn chain is both White's strength and weakness. With Be3, Nc3 and Nf3, White hopes to push d5 or f5 and smother Black. Black keeps the knights on b6 and c6 aimed at c4 and d4, puts the bishop on f5, and prepares ...e6 plus ...Be7. The key moment is the break: ...f6 opens the f-file toward the uncastled king, and ...c5 attacks d4 from the side. Material often matters less than whether White's king finds safety.

What the engine plays from here

Stockfish 17.1 at depth 20 rates the position +0.64: a slight edge for White. Its three top choices for Black:

  1. +0.64 5...dxe5 6.fxe5 Nc6 7.Be3 Bf5 8.Nc3
  2. +0.71 5...Bf5 6.Nc3 dxe5 7.fxe5 Nc6 8.Be3
  3. +0.78 5...g6 6.Nc3 Bg7 7.Be3 dxe5 8.dxe5

Pawns, from White's side.

How it scores on lichess

1,604 rated lichess games reached this position; White scored 48.1%.

1200–159948.5%
1600–199945.8%
2000 and up50.6%

Light: White wins. Grey: draws. Dark: Black wins. About the sample.

Where it goes next

  • Four Pawns Attack, Cambridge Gambit5...g5 · rare
  • Four Pawns Attack, Fianchetto Variation5...g6 · rare
  • Four Pawns Attack, Trifunovic Variation5...Bf5 · rare
  • Four Pawns Attack, Tartakower Variation5...dxe5 · rare

How to play against it

Do not sit still. Take on e5, develop with ...Nc6 and ...Bf5, and get your king safe before opening lines. Avoid slow setups that give White free time for Nf3, Be3 and a d5 push. If White's king stays in the center, open the f-file with ...f6.

Questions

What are the moves of the Alekhine Defense: Four Pawns Attack?

The Alekhine Defense: Four Pawns Attack starts 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.c4 Nb6 5.f4. Its ECO code is B03.

Is the Alekhine Defense: Four Pawns Attack good for White?

Stockfish 17.1 rates the position +0.64 at depth 20, which is a slight edge for White. In 1,604 lichess games from our sample, White scored 48.1%. Ideal for White players who like big centers and are ready to calculate; Black needs active development and well-timed breaks.

What is the main idea of the Alekhine Defense: Four Pawns Attack?

White builds a four-pawn wall on c4, d4, e5 and f4 to gain space. Black lets it happen, then attacks it with ...dxe5, ...Nc6, ...Bf5 and later ...c5 or ...f6, trying to prove the pawns are overextended.

What should Black play next?

The engine's first choice is dxe5, with Bf5 and g6 close behind. 5...dxe5 trades at once, so after fxe5 the d4 pawn becomes the natural target for ...Nc6 and ...Bf5.

Updated October 2026. Sources and method.