Chessy
Playing Black in the Alekhine Defense: Normal Variation (3.Nc3)
The Alekhine Defense is a daring choice: you invite White to chase your knight all over the board with pawn advances. In the Normal Variation with 3.Nc3, you immediately trade that knight for a bishop on c3, doubling White's pawns and ripping open the centre. Sounds wild — but the statistics show it's a perfectly sound fight. Over 86,500 games have reached this exact position, with Black winning nearly 45% of the time. That's a real opening, not a gimmick. The drill below will teach you how to handle what comes next.
Play the Alekhine Defense: Normal Variation: Nc3 against the engine
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Create a free account →What You're Fighting For: The Doubled Pawns
After 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.Nc3 Nxc3, White has a choice between taking back with the b-pawn or the d-pawn. Either way, White ends up with doubled pawns on the c-file. That's the core of your strategy: those pawns can become targets in the middlegame and endgame. Your knight has been traded off, but you've damaged White's structure. You're fighting to exploit that weakness over the long run — not to win a quick tactical knockout. The engine evaluates the position at +0.54, a small edge for White due to the extra centre pawn and space, but that edge is very hard to convert. Statistically, White scores just 50.3% here — barely above half. From your perspective as Black, you are slightly worse but with excellent practical chances.
The Engine's Best Move: dxc3
Stockfish's first choice at this position is 4.dxc3, taking toward the centre. The engine then recommends continuing with 4...g6 5.Bf4 Bg7. Black fianchettoes the dark-squared bishop, eyes the centre, and prepares to castle quickly. This is a clean, principled plan: develop your pieces, put pressure on White's centre, and stay flexible. You don't need to force anything. The bishop on g7 is a long-term asset, especially once White's central pawns start to move or get traded. In the drill, if you play dxc3, the engine will show you this exact idea — try it and see how the position feels.
The Mistake to Punish: d3 and d4 Are Blunders
While 4.dxc3 and even 4.bxc3 are playable, White has several terrible options here — and they all involve pushing the d-pawn or developing the knight to f3. The FACTS list three clear blunders: d3 loses roughly 7.3 pawns; d4 loses roughly 7.0 pawns; and Nf3 loses roughly 7.1 pawns. In each case, the better move was dxc3. If White plays any of these, you instantly have a winning position. What do you do? After d3 or d4, Black can simply develop with ...e5 or ...d6, grabbing the centre and keeping the extra material. After Nf3, Black should take on c3, winning a pawn outright. Keep an eye out for these — your opponent might not know the theory.
Which Capture to Expect: dxc3 vs bxc3
The database tells us White's choice between the two captures is nearly a 60/40 split: 4.dxc3 appears in 54,620 games (White scores 51.3%), while 4.bxc3 occurs in 31,660 games (White scores only 48.9%). That's fascinating: bxc3 actually scores worse for White despite being the less popular option. Why? Taking with the b-pawn leaves the d-pawn ready to advance, but it gives Black an immediate target on c3 and opens the b-file for Black's rook after ...b6 and ...Bb7. Against 4.bxc3, Black's plan is similar: fianchetto the kingside, put pressure on the centre, and eventually target the weak c3 pawn. The drill will train you against both captures, so you're ready no matter which one your opponent chooses.
Results across 86,503 Lichess games
| Most-played continuation | Games | White wins |
|---|---|---|
| dxc3 | 54,620 | 51.3% |
| bxc3 | 31,660 | 48.9% |
| d3 | 79 | 13.9% |
| d4 | 43 | 25.6% |
| Nf3 | 43 | 7.0% |
| b3 | 35 | 17.1% |
Frequently asked questions
Is the Alekhine Defense Normal Variation Nc3 a good opening for beginners?
It can be — but it's not for everyone. You need to be comfortable with slightly less space and a small disadvantage out of the opening (+0.54 in White's favour). The trade-off is that White's doubled c-pawns give you a long-term structural target. If you enjoy strategic, slow-burn positions rather than sharp tactical battles, this line is a fine choice.
Should Black capture on c3 or retreat the knight to b6?
In the Alekhine Defense Normal Variation with 3.Nc3, the knight capture 3...Nxc3 is the defining move — you trade knight for bishop. Retreating to b6 is a different variation entirely. Here, the statistics show that Nxc3 leads to a balanced fight where Black scores 44.8%, which is very respectable for a risky-looking opening.
How should Black play after 4.dxc3?
The engine's top choice is 4...g6, followed by Bf7 (or Bg7, actually Bg7). You fianchetto your dark-squared bishop to pressure White's centre and castle quickly. Develop naturally, don't rush, and focus on making White's doubled c-pawns feel uncomfortable. That's the plan the drill will reinforce.
What happens if White plays 4.d3 or 4.d4?
Both are blunders that lose roughly 7 pawns worth of advantage. After 4.d3 or 4.d4, Black can simply take the centre with ...e5 or develop with ...d6 and soon capture the pawn on e5. These moves completely misfire because they leave the pawn on e5 hanging or create other tactical problems. If you see either, you're winning.