Alekhine Defense: Hunt Variation

What Is The Hunt Variation?

The Hunt Variation takes the Alekhine's bait to the extreme: 5.c5 kicks Black's knight a third time and grabs a huge pawn front. The knight drops back to d5, its best square, where 6.Bc4 hits it once more and 6...e6 covers the threat. White has played five pawn moves in a row, so the pawns on c5, d4 and e5 are both trophy and target for the rest of the game.

Black strikes back immediately with ...dxe5 and ...b6, since the d6 pawn already bites at e5. Your compensation is time and cramping space: develop fast, castle, and keep the chain intact, and Black never breathes. That race decides the games. If your king is still central when lines open, those proud pawns fall one by one.