Chess Openings Lab
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Englund Gambit Declined: Reversed Alekhine

The Reversed Alekhine is 1.d4 e5 2.Nf3, where White declines the Englund pawn and develops instead. Black can now chase the knight with ...e4, as in an Alekhine Defense with colors reversed, or trade with ...exd4 and develop quickly.

Moves
1.d4 e5 2.Nf3
ECO
A40
Engine
−0.27 · level (Stockfish 17.1, depth 20)
Played
1,377 games in our lichess sample
White scores
53.3%

Key ideas for both sides

White

  • After ...e4, retreat the knight to d2 and hit Black's pawn chain with c4 and later f3.
  • If Black plays ...exd4, recapture with the queen and move it to d3 before ...Nc6 gains more time.
  • Punish the careless ...Nc6 by taking on e5 and keeping the extra pawn with Bf4.

Black

  • Push ...e4 and back it up with ...d5 and ...c6, building a French Advance center with colors reversed.
  • Trade with ...exd4 and use ...Nc6 to hit the white queen when it lands on d4.
  • Avoid ...Nc6 here; after dxe5 the e5 pawn cannot be regained cleanly.

Plans and pawn structure

After ...e4 and Nfd2, Black has a space-gaining pawn on e4 backed by d5, while White's c4 and f3 breaks attack that chain from both sides. Black develops with ...Nf6, ...Be7 and ...O-O and must keep the e4 pawn protected. After ...exd4, the center opens and Black gets free development by hitting the white queen. The worst choice is ...Nc6, which simply drops a pawn for little compensation.

What the engine plays from here

Stockfish 17.1 at depth 20 rates the position −0.27: level. Its three top choices for Black:

  1. −0.27 2...e4 3.Nfd2 d5 4.c4 c6 5.Nc3
  2. −0.15 2...exd4 3.Qxd4 Nc6 4.Qd3 d5 5.Nc3
  3. +1.37 2...Nc6 3.dxe5 d5 4.Bf4 f6 5.e3

Pawns, from White's side.

How it scores on lichess

1,377 rated lichess games reached this position; White scored 53.3%.

under 120052.9%
1200–159956.4%
1600–199949.6%
2000 and up47.3%

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

Where it goes next

How to play against it

For Black: choose between ...e4 and ...exd4. Both give a comfortable game. Avoid ...Nc6 after Nf3, because dxe5 leaves Black a pawn down with no clear way to win it back. After ...e4, don't overextend; support the pawn with ...d5 before playing ...f5.

Questions

What are the moves of the Englund Gambit Declined: Reversed Alekhine?

The Englund Gambit Declined: Reversed Alekhine starts 1.d4 e5 2.Nf3. Its ECO code is A40.

Is the Englund Gambit Declined: Reversed Alekhine good for White?

Stockfish 17.1 rates the position −0.27 at depth 20, which is level. In 1,377 lichess games from our sample, White scored 53.3%. Comfortable for Black; White needs to know how to attack an advanced e4 pawn.

What is the main idea of the Englund Gambit Declined: Reversed Alekhine?

White refuses the pawn and develops, inviting ...e4 to gain time on the knight. Black gets a reversed Alekhine or French Advance-type center.

What should Black play next?

The engine's first choice is e4, with exd4 and Nc6 close behind. ...e4 gains space with tempo and makes White's knight retreat.

Updated October 2026. Sources and method.