Speed: Bullet to Correspondence Rating:
Alekhine Defense: Modern Variation, Larsen VariationBETA
dxe5: Black removes white's strong e5 pawn. White has two moves: 5. dxe5 and 5. Nxe5. If white captures dxe5, then black has a free game after Bg4 or Bf5. Black plans to follow up with e6, after which he has less space but no bad pieces. The only way for white to continue the pressure is with Nxe5. This knight is very active, and black will soon try to trade it off with Nd7.
The Alekhine is a quintessential example of the "Hypermodern Style" of chess. Black provokes white's pawns forwards, allowing white extra space. Black argues that white's big center is weakness, not a strength, and seeks to attack the center before white can consolidate it.