Trying to pick up some pointers on the Alekhine's defense . I have tried a couple of lines against it and it is a hard nut to crack!
this is true, i have a hard time cause most of the time white will just march his pawn forward...
I thought black generally recaptures with the c pawn, not the e pawn. That alone would make it not quite as instructive as it otherwise could have been.
I played Alekhine's defense almost exclusively until I went over 1800 and started having to play in the Open sections of swiss tournies......where my opponents were all over 1800 ! The defense served me well for several years but then I had to change my repertoire as Alekhine defense wasnt doing well against opponents over 2000 ! I switched to sicilians and the french.
1.b4 e5 2.Ab2 f6 3.e4 Axb4 4.Ac4 Cc6 5.f4 d6 6.c3 Aa5 7.Cf3 Ch6 8.d4 exd4 9.O-O dxc3 10.Cxc3 Ab6+ 11.Rh1 Ag4 12.h3 Axf3 13.Dxf3 Ad4 14.Tad1 Dd7 15.Dh5+ Cf7 16.Txd4 Cxd4 17.Cd5 b5 18.Axd4 bxc4 19.Axf6 c6 20.Axg7 cxd5 21.Axh8 De6 22.exd5 De4 23.Af6 Dg6 24.De2+ 1-0
The French - this one was another possibility, but for me it is too double-edged. I prefer defenses in which black has play everywhere, if a bit cramped in some variations.
Others have suggested the Scandinavian, but it may be too direct for me. Let's face it, if it were good, or if it were even "a tough nut to crack", then it is nearly a refutation of 1:e4.