NOVELTY - Alpha-amylase variant (I) comprising a substitution at a position corresponding to position 176 of SEQ ID NO. 1, preferably substitution K176L, in combination with an alteration at one or more positions corresponding to any of positions 1, 2, 68, 71, 126, 133, 142, 144, 156, 158, 185, 201, 205, 213, 239, 279, 316, 318, 360, 416, 437 and 450 of SEQ ID NO. 1, preferably one or more alterations consisting of e.g. A1AH, A1AF, A1AY, A1AW, A1H, A1F, and A1Y, is new.    USE - (I) is useful: for liquefying a starch-containing material (claimed), and producing a fermentation product; in detergents, such as laundry detergent compositions and dishwashing detergent compositions, hard surface cleaning compositions; for desizing textiles, fabrics or garments; for producing pulp and paper, beer making, ethanol production, and starch conversion processes; and for production of sweeteners and ethanol, such as fuel, drinking and industrial ethanol, from starch or whole grains. The host cell is useful in recombinant production of a variant, e.g. a prokaryote or a eukaryote.    ADVANTAGE - (I) has increased stability at low pH, low calcium and high temperature.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - Alpha-amylase variant (I) comprising a substitution at a position corresponding to position 176 of SEQ ID NO. 1, preferably substitution K176L, in combination with an alteration at one or more positions corresponding to any of positions 1, 2, 68, 71, 126, 133, 142, 144, 156, 158, 185, 201, 205, 213, 239, 279, 316, 318, 360, 416, 437 and 450 of SEQ ID NO. 1, preferably one or more alterations consisting of A1AH, A1AF, A1AY, A1AW, A1H, A1F, A1Y, A1W, N2NH, N2N2F, N2NY, N2NW, N2H, N2F, N2Y, N2W, H68F, H68Y, H68W, G71F, G71H, G71Y, G71W, N126F, N126H, N126Y, N126W, H133F, H133Y, H133W, H142F, H142Y, H142W, P144F, P144H, P144Y, P144W, Y156F, Y156H, Y156W, Y158F, Y158H, Y158W, E185P, I201F, I201Y, H205Y, K213T, S239A, S239Q, F279Y, F279W, H316F, H316Y, H316W, L318F, L318H, L318Y, L318W, Q360S, D416V, R437F, R437H, R437Y, R437W, H450F, H450Y and H450W, preferably one or more alterations consisting of A1AH, A1AW, A1H, A1W, N2NH, N2NW, N2H, N2W, H68W, G71W, N126W, H133Y, H142W, P144W, Y156W, Y158W, E185P, I201Y, H205Y, K213T, S239A, S239Q, F279W, H316W, L318W, Q360S, D416V, R437W and H450W, where the variant has at least 60% and less than 100% sequence identity to (i) the mature polypeptide of SEQ ID NOs. 1-14 (one of 14 (481-546) base pair sequences all fully defined in the specification), or (ii) amino acids 1-483 of SEQ ID NO. 1 (a 484 amino acid sequence fully defined in the specification), amino acids 1-483 of SEQ ID NO. 2 (a 516 amino acid sequence fully defined in the specification), amino acids 1-485 of SEQ ID NO. 3 (a 544 amino acid sequence fully defined in the specification), amino acids 1-482 of SEQ ID NO. 4 (a 546 amino acid sequence fully defined in the specification), amino acids 1-484 of SEQ ID NO. 5 (a 544 amino acid sequence fully defined in the specification), amino acids 1-483 of SEQ ID NO. 6 (a 484 amino acid sequence fully defined in the specification), amino acids 1-485 of SEQ ID NO. 7 (a 486 amino acid sequence fully defined in the specification), amino acids 1-485 of SEQ ID NO. 8 (a 486 amino acid sequence fully defined in the specification), amino acids 1-485 of SEQ ID NO. 9 (a 486 amino acid sequence fully defined in the specification), amino acids 1-485 of SEQ ID NO.10 (a 486 amino acid sequence fully defined in the specification), amino acids 1-485 of SEQ ID NO. 11 (a 486 amino acid sequence fully defined in the specification), amino acids 1-480 of SEQ ID NO. 12 (a 481 amino acid sequence fully defined in the specification), amino acids 1-483 of SEQ ID NO. 13 (a 484 amino acid sequence fully defined in the specification) or amino acids 1-481 of SEQ ID NO. 14 (a 482 amino acid sequence fully defined in the specification), and the variant has alpha-amylase activity, is new. INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are included for:    (1) an isolated polynucleotide encoding (I);    (2) a nucleic acid construct comprising the polynucleotide;    (3) an expression vector comprising the polynucleotide;    (4) a host cell comprising the polynucleotide; and    (5) the preparations of (I).