Winning with the Alekhine

      In this game my opponent chose the Four Pawns Attack. The Four Pawns Attack is White's most ambitious try. Black allows White to make several tempo-gaining attacks on the Knight and establish an imposing pawn center in the belief that it can be destroyed. The game can become very sharp since White must either secure his advantage in space or make use of it before Black succeeds in making a successful strike at it. Black also has to play aggressively because passive play will result in his being crushed by White’s center.
       The Four Pawns Attack is not particularly popular because many White players are reluctant to weaken the area surrounding their King or are wary of entering a sharp tactical line which Black may have prepared.
       An interesting alternative is the ultra-sharp Planinc Variation, 5...g5!? where Black hopes for 6. fxg5? dxe5 which wrecks White's center and leaves him with weak pawns. Actually, about the only thing going for this line is the fact that White will have difficulty finding the best defense OTB.
      In this game, instead of meekly retreating the N's in face of White's Q-side P rush, I boldly plunged them into his position, creating havoc against his K.