Alekhine Defense: Modern Variation, Schmid Variation
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3 Nb6
The Alekhine Defense: Modern Variation, Schmid Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO B04, reached after 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3 Nb6. It is a line of the Alekhine Defense. White is to move.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 40 times by this move order. White won 45%, 5% were drawn and Black won 50%. The most popular continuation is 5. exd6 (20% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.69 (Stockfish, depth 50; best line 5. a4 a5 6. Nc3 Na6 7. Bxa6 bxa6)
- ECO
- B04
- Moves
- 8 plies
- FEN
rnbqkb1r/ppp1pppp/1n1p4/4P3/3P4/5N2/PPP2PPP/RNBQKB1R w KQkq - 2 5- PGN
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3 Nb6
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 1 | |
| 1500-1999 | 20 | |
| 2000+ | 19 | |
| All | 40 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 5. exd6 | 8 (20%) | |
| 5. Bd3 | 7 (18%) | |
| 5. Be2 | 7 (18%) | |
| 5. c4 | 4 (10%) | |
| 5. Bf4 | 4 (10%) | |
| 5. a4 | 3 (8%) | |
| 5. Nc3 | 3 (8%) | |
| 5. Be3 | 2 (5%) |
Master games
408 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 41%, draw 22%, Black 37%). The strongest:
- KomodoDragon 2894.00 (3600) – Stockfish dev15_20220401 (3617) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 22 Superfinal 2022 · 2022-04-22
- Stockfish dev15_20220401 (3617) – KomodoDragon 2894.00 (3600) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 22 Superfinal 2022 · 2022-04-22
- GM Hrant Melkumyan (2663) – GM Vasif Durarbayli (2606) 1-0 · Titled Tuesday 16th June · 2020-06-16
- GM Peter Svidler (2683) – GM Mikhail Demidov (2575) 0-1 · Airthings Masters Div 3 L · 2023-02-07
- GM David Paravyan (2610) – GM Jose Eduardo Martinez Alcantara (2612) 1/2-1/2 · Bullet Chess Losers 2024 · 2024-06-12
Search all games of the Alekhine Defense: Modern Variation, Schmid Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- SolaceOfNight (2511) – IM Whynot72 (2532) 1-0 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
- whaflc-jevtic (2449) – FM yudinetz (2450) 0-1 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 2s
- d2s04 (2388) – Midori_1782 (2402) 1-0 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Alekhine Defense: Modern Variation 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3
More Alekhine Defense lines (all)
- Alekhine Defense (1. e4 Nf6) B02
- Alekhine Defense: Brooklyn Variation B02
- Alekhine Defense: Brooklyn Variation, Everglades Variation B02
- Alekhine Defense: Buckley Attack B02
- Alekhine Defense: Hunt Variation, Lasker Simul Gambit B02
- Alekhine Defense: Hunt Variation, Matsukevich Gambit B02
- Alekhine Defense: Hunt Variation, Mikenas Gambit B02
- Alekhine Defense: Kmoch Variation B02
- Alekhine Defense: Krejcik Variation B02
- Alekhine Defense: Krejcik Variation, Krejcik Gambit B02
- Alekhine Defense: Maróczy Variation B02
- Alekhine Defense: Mokele Mbembe B02
Opening names and moves from the Lichess openings dataset; statistics from the Lichess open database, 2026-09 (CC0), sample of 12.6 million games, bots excluded; evaluations from Lichess cloud analysis (all CC0). Master games from The Week in Chess #920–#1664 by Mark Crowther, used with permission.