In this continuation of the "Climbing the Rating Ladder" series I take on players of various ratings levels while pointing out typical mistakes and spots for improvement along the way (possibly my own!? :)). Here I commentate a 10+5 game against a player rated 1404 on Chess.com. Alekhine's Defense (1.e4 Nf6) is a rare guest at top-level play, but it represents an interesting hypermodern strategy of enticing the enemy pawns forward, hoping to prove they're overextended. At amateur level, many players will answer Alekhine's Defense with 2.Nc3, as we see in this game, after which Black does well to play either 2...e5, 2...d5, or 2...d6. Should White's e-pawn cross the demarcation line to e5, the first player must think seriously about how to support this pawn!

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