Alekhine Defense: Exchange Variation
1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.c4 Nb6 5.exd6
What Is The Exchange Variation?
5.exd6 trades off the advanced e5 pawn and hands Black the choice of recapture. That is the point: White keeps pawns on c4 and d4, a clean space advantage with nothing loose, and denies the Alekhine its purpose of provoking an overextended centre. Treat the Exchange Variation as an ambitious space grab, not a peace offer. Black's knight on b6 eyes c4 but owns no strong square, and White gains time expanding with b3 and c5.
Take back with 5...exd6 for symmetry and easy development, a sound but flat position where White's space still steers play. Take back with 5...cxd6 and you open the c-file and hit d4 with ...Nc6 and ...g6, ...Bg7. Games turn on the breaks: c5 squeezes Black, while ...d5 or ...e5 dissolves White's edge.
The Named Lines Of The Exchange Variation
| Line | Moves |
|---|---|
| Voronezh Variation | 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.c4 Nb6 5.exd6 cxd6 6.Nc3 g6 7.Be3 Bg7 8.Rc1 O-O 9.b3 |
| Karpov Variation | 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.c4 Nb6 5.exd6 cxd6 6.Nc3 g6 7.h3 Bg7 8.Nf3 O-O 9.Be2 Nc6 10.O-O Bf5 11.Bf4 |