Fairly simple and good rarely work together in a chess book. Simple leaves too many holes. The books I have on it are old and out of date and I've not kept up with the opening so I can't give you any better recommendations. I'd suggest checking some chess book review sites.
Alehkine's Defense
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I've been playing that in 5 minute games in live, where it can be quite good fun, and recently I thought I'd try it turn based, wanna play a few games? I'll challenge you...
Apr 30, 2009
0
#4
Not sure how unorthodox you like to get with your play, but have you considered the Mokele Mbembe variation (1 e4 Nf6 2 e5 Ne4)? Stefan Bucker plays it and has done a lot of detailed analysis on the opening. It has tremendous surprise value, particularly in blitz games.
The general rule of thumb is that the knight gets trapped on e4, but there are ways to avoid that and reach some playable positions. It might not be really good for Black, but if you play it enough, at least you can feel comfortable in the middlegame positions you reach.
Ne4 sucks, seriously, it was given as much better for white by Alburt.
Diabeditor wrote:
Not sure how unorthodox you like to get with your play, but have you considered the Mokele Mbembe variation (1 e4 Nf6 2 e5 Ne4)? Stefan Bucker plays it and has done a lot of detailed analysis on the opening. It has tremendous surprise value, particularly in blitz games.
The general rule of thumb is that the knight gets trapped on e4, but there are ways to avoid that and reach some playable positions. It might not be really good for Black, but if you play it enough, at least you can feel comfortable in the middlegame positions you reach.
Stay away from the Mokele and the Brooklyn Variation (2. Ng8) (although I think Ng8 may be a better option . . .
I've been playing the Alekhine for years... and I agree with the statement above partially...that it is good to play them in blitz...but not OTB.
The Mokele problem is that is allows white to ultimately keep a nice passed pawn on e5 or black will lose a piece with best play (e.g. Black must know to play f5 to defend the knight instead of d5 and what must develop Nh3 in order to play f3).
The Brooklyn variation is a better idea in that it tries to allow black to transpose into a french with a good white squared bishop (1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Ng8 3. d4 d6/d5 4. Nf3 Bg4 followed by c5 Qb3 etc... If white played bd3 first and delay moving the knight to f3... white pretty much has a french with a bunch of lost tempi and is extremely underdevelop and gives white an enormous initiative.
May 13, 2009
0
#7
GM Joel Benjamin plays the Brooklyn Variation. As for the Mokele Mbembe variation, it's one of those openings like the Latvian Gambit or Blackmar-Deimer where everybody criticizes, but when somebody plays it against them, they stumble. It's unlikely you will see it at the GM level, but I've had moderate success with Mokele.
If anybody wants to challenge me to a game from this starting position, by all means do so: 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Ne4
Hello. I have recently begun playing the Alkehine's as my defense to 1. e4, and I like it a lot. It takes white out of whatever they were planning, and tends to create rather open positions, which I prefer.
I'm looking to get a book on the defense, and learn the lines a bit deeper. But I find that opening books often make me want to kill myself.
Anyone know of a good, fairly simple book on the Alkehine's?