Reversed Alekhine

With 2. Nf3 White neither captures on e5 nor closes the center with 2. d5. Instead the knight develops and adds a second attacker to the e5-pawn, keeping dxe5 in reserve. The drawback, and the source of the name, is that Black's e-pawn can step forward and harass the knight. The pattern resembles Alekhine's Defense, where White's e-pawn chases Black's king's knight, here with the colors reversed. The line is among the more frequently reached positions in the database, and results between the two sides are close to even.

The usual answer, chosen in almost half of all games, is 2...e4, the Reversed Krebs. It gains space and forces the knight to decide at once. Black scores slightly better than White after this push. The knight can advance with 3. Ne5, the Reversed Mokele Mbembe, or retreat with 3. Ng1, the Reversed Brooklyn, which gives up time to keep the structure intact. After 3. Ne5 d6 4. Nc4 d5, Black has built a broad center with gain of tempo and stands comfortably. White's task is then to undermine the e4-pawn, with Black's advanced pawn mirroring the one White holds in the Alekhine.

The main alternative is 2...exd4, played in roughly three games in ten. After 3. Nxd4 d5, Black occupies the center with the d-pawn and can follow up with ...c5 to push the knight around further. Engine analysis lists 2...e4, 2...exd4 and 2...d5 as Black's best options. It evaluates the position as roughly balanced, with a faint tilt toward Black.

Less common tries leave the e5-pawn to its fate. 2...d6 offers a pawn and leads to the Vos Gambit, classified under the Zukertort Opening. The rare 2...f5, the Omega-Isis Gambit, gives up the pawn in Dutch style, and White scores clearly better against it.