Chess Book Moves : Alekhine Defense

A book move is a move that is well-known to opening theory. In other words, a book move is an opening move that is considered standard or conventional.

The term book moves relates to the time that almost all opening theory was once contained in only books (although this information is now readily available in multiple formats like opening databases, videos, and other online material as well as books). Chess books on openings still exist, of course, and some have been around for over 100 years. Modern Chess Openings (MCO) has had 15 revisions since it was initially published in 1911.

Opening theory refers to known opening moves that have been published in books, databases, magazines, etc. If two players play a game whose first 10 moves have been played before, then those first 10 moves are considered book moves or theory. If you ever hear someone say that a player is "booked up" on a particular opening, they are simply saying that the player knows the theory.

Book moves are important for several reasons. If a player knows book moves in a particular opening, it means that they know the opening theory for the position that they are playing. Thus the player understands the known plans associated with the opening that they are playing as well as where their pieces should be placed.

When a player deviates from opening theory, they are considered to be "out of book." After both players are out of book and no longer playing book moves, the players are essentially playing for themselves at that point and are no longer playing from memory.  The number of book moves played can also indicate the originality of the opening phase in a game. In some games, both players follow theory or play book moves for 20 to 30 moves, but leave known theory in other games after only a couple of book moves. 

For long days I have collected book moves and it is my high privilege to share them with chess.com users. Today I am presenting book moves on Alekhine Defense. 

The Alekhine's Defence is a chess opening that begins with the moves :

1. e4 Nf6

Black tempts White's pawns forward to form a broad pawn centre, with plans to undermine and attack the white structure later in the spirit of hypermodern defence. White's imposing mass of pawns in the centre often includes pawns on c4, d4, e5, and f4. Grandmaster (GM) Nick de Firmian observes of Alekhine's Defense in MCO-15 (2008), "The game immediately loses any sense of symmetry or balance, which makes the opening a good choice for aggressive fighting players."

The Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings has four codes for Alekhine's Defence, B02 through B05 :

B02: 1.e4 Nf6
B03: 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 (including the Exchange Variation and Four Pawns Attack)
B04: 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 (Modern Variation without 4...Bg4)
B05: 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 Bg4 (Modern Variation with 4...Bg4)

01. Alekhine Defense, Balogh Variation

02. Alekhine Defense, Brooklyn Variation

03. Alekhine Defense, Exchange Variation

04. Alekhine Defense, Four Pawns Attack

05. Alekhine Defense, Four Pawns Attack, Fianchetto Variation

06. Alekhine Defense, Four Pawns Attack, Main Line

07. Alekhine Defense, Four Pawns Attack, Trifunovic Variation

08. Alekhine Defense, Hunt Variation, Lasker Simul Gambit

09. Alekhine Defense, Maroczy Variation

10. Alekhine Defense, Modern Variation

11. Alekhine Defense, Modern Variation, Alburt Variation

12. Alekhine Defense, Modern Variation, Alekhine Gambit

13. Alekhine Defense, Modern Variation, Keres Variation

14. Alekhine Defense, Modern Variation, Larsen Variation

15. Alekhine Defense, Modern Variation, Larsen Variation, Miles Line

16. Alekhine Defense, Modern Variation, Larsen-Haakert Variation

17. Alekhine Defense, Modern Variation, Main Line

18. Alekhine Defense, Modern Variation, Panov Variation

19. Alekhine Defense, Modern Variation, Schmid Variation

20. Alekhine Defense, Saemisch Attack

21. Alekhine Defense, Scandinavian Variation

22. Alekhine Defense, Spielmann Gambit

23. Alekhine Defense, Steiner Variation

Hope beginners and intermediate players will find this post interesting. If I have missed any then let me know. I will revise the post. 

I plan to make more posts on book moves on other openings like this. That will be very heavy work. I have to find out considerable times. Meanwhile if you love to learn more on Alekhine Defense then feel free to watch Beating Your Nemesis : The Alekhine Defense by GM Roman Dzindzichashvili (https://www.chess.com/member/jrlok). 

Few YouTube Video Links :

a. Alekhine's Defense by Alekhine Himself! by Antonio Radić (agadmator) 

b. Chess openings - Alekhine's Defence

c. Master Class | Alekhine Defense | Chess Speedrun | Grandmaster Naroditsky 

d. Play the Alekhine Defense ♟Chess Opening with GM Damian Lemos 👊

e. Chess Openings : Learn to Play the Alekhine's Defense

f. The Alekhine Defense | Chess Opening Tutorial

g. Nepomniachtchi WRECKS Carlsen's Alekhine Defense!! 2021 World Chess Championship Preview

h. Alekhine Defense | Ideas, Principles and Common Variations

i. Chess Openings : Alekhine Defense

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