Alekhine’s Gun
Alekhine’s Gun is a famous piece formation where queen and rooks line up on one file to overload defenders and win material. See how it works, when it’s dangerous, and classic game examples that show the pattern in action.
The Triple Battery on a File
Alekhine’s Gun is one of the most powerful heavy-piece formations in chess, designed to dominate open files by tripling pieces.
A “battery” is when pieces stack on a line to multiply force. But Alekhine’s Gun is the ultimate version: Rook + Rook + Queen. The most famous example comes from Alekhine’s positional masterpiece against Nimzowitsch at San Remo 1930.
Alexander Alekhine vs Aron Nimzowitsch
San Remo (1930), Round 3 • French Defense (C17) • 1–0
1. Before the Shot – Pieces Already on the File
White already has two rooks stacked on the c-file. The remaining step is to bring the Queen behind them.
2. The Famous Move – 26. Qc1!
The move: 26. Qc1!
The Queen slides behind the rooks, forming the classic Alekhine’s Gun: Qc1 supporting Rc2 supporting Rc3. Now the c-file pressure becomes suffocating.
- It increases pressure without sacrificing anything.
- It often creates pins / overloads defenders.
- It can “freeze” the opponent — they run out of useful moves.
Game continuation (as recorded): 26...Rbc8 27.Ba4 b5 28.Bxb5 Ke8 29.Ba4 Kd8 30.h4 1–0
From the Archives
"A triple battery is like tightening a vice: no tactics needed — the position collapses by force."
— Kingscrusher
"If you can stack rooks, the Queen often completes the ‘Gun’ — and the opponent starts running out of air."
♟️ Related Concepts
Pin
Alekhine’s Gun often creates powerful file pins where defenders cannot move without losing material behind them.
X-Ray Attack
Even when a piece blocks the file, the pressure remains — one exchange and the x-ray line is unleashed.
Overloading
Defenders on the file are often forced to guard too many threats at once, causing the position to collapse.
Deflection
Removing or forcing away a key defender is often what allows the battery to finally break through.