Albin Countergambit

The Albin Countergambit meets the Queen's Gambit with 2...e5, a counterblow in the center rather than a defense of d5. It is filed under the Queen's Gambit Declined, yet it has little in common with 2...e6: instead of shoring up d5, Black offers a pawn. The normal follow-up is 3. dxe5 d4, after which the advanced d-pawn interferes with White's usual development by Nc3 and e3 and gives Black open lines and attacking prospects as compensation. White often tries to give the extra pawn back when convenient and keep a durable positional edge. The opening falls under ECO codes D08 and D09.

The pawn on d4 carries tactical venom. The careless 4. e3? runs into the Lasker Trap: 4...Bb4+ 5. Bd2 dxe3, and if 6. Bxb4?? then 6...exf2+ 7. Ke2 fxg1=N+ 8. Rxg1 Bg4+ wins the queen, while 7. Kxf2 loses to 7...Qxd1. The knight promotion on move seven is a rare case of underpromotion in real play. The Spassky Variation, 4. e4, sidesteps this because Black may take en passant only on the very next move; once 4...Bb4+ 5. Bd2 has been played, ...dxe3 is off the table. Minev judged 4. e4 dubious, recommending 4...Nc6 with the better game for Black.

The Normal Line is 4. Nf3. The Tartakower Defense, 4...c5, has the drawback that White can reply 5. e3, since the bishop check on b4 is no longer available. After the standard 4...Nc6, White's main choices are 5. a3, 5. Nbd2 (the Modern Line) and 5. g3 (the Fianchetto Variation). The fianchetto plan with Bg2 and Nbd2 is regarded as White's most reliable way to seek an advantage, and Black frequently castles queenside in reply, as in 5. g3 Be6 6. Nbd2 Qd7 7. Bg2 O-O-O 8. O-O Bh3. Against the Modern Line Black has several named setups: 5...f6 (Janowski), 5...Qe7 (Balogh) and 5...Bg4 6. h3 Bxf3 7. Nxf3 Bb4+ 8. Bd2 Qe7 (Krenosz). On move three, White can also avoid the main line with 3. Nc3 or 3. cxd5.

The engine gives White a modest advantage, but on Lichess results are close to even, with White only marginally ahead. The opening is seldom seen at master level, though Alexander Morozevich employed it with some success in the 2000s. It was first played by Cavallotti against Salvioli at Milan 1881 and is named after Adolf Albin, who used it against Emanuel Lasker in New York in 1893.