Albin-Counter Game

by Cecil
(India)

Albin-Counter Gambit Game

This is a great game I played with Black playing the Albin-Counter Gambit:

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 d4

These are the initial moves where both Black drives a wedge between the White pawns early on.

4. Nf3 Nc6 5. a3 Bg4 6. Nbd2 Qe7

The game progresses rapidly with knights and bishops taking control over the center.

7. h3 Bh5 8. g4 Bg6 9. Bg2 O-O-O 10. b4 h5 11. g5 Nxe5

The game progresses as it should be with both Black and White taking chances to win control.

12. Nxe5 Qxe5 13. Nf3 Qe6 14. Bf4 Bd6 15. Bxd6 Rxd6 16.c5 Rd8

The game gains pace now as the Black queen comes in to action and makes White tremble and suffer a lot for its wrong moves.

17. Nxd4 Qe5 18. e3 Be4 19. Bxe4 Qxe4 20. Qe2 Ne7

Now the game changes equally White cleverly makes some moves which to regain control over proceedings.

21. Qd3 Qd5 22. h4 Rd7 23. Rd1 Rhd8 24. Qb3 Qe4 25. f3 Qe5 26. Kf2 Nf5 27. Nxf5 Rd2 28. Rxd2 Rxd2

At this point both take great chances of acclaiming the control one over the other and both sides lose material.

29. Ke1 Rb2 30. Qd3 Ra2 31. f4 Qa1 32. Qd1 Qc3 33. Kf1 Ra1 34. Qxa1 Qxa1 35. Kg2 Qa2

Now the game entirely changes and Black gains the upper hand by making witty moves.

36. Kf3 g6 37. Ng3 Qxa3 38. Rb1 Qd3 39. Ra1 a6

After these moves White comes entirely under control Black who finally wins the game. Play through my game here.

Albin-Counter – Unique Opening

by Vidya
(India)

The Albin-Counter Gambit is a unique chess opening. It starts with the following moves:
d4 d5 and c4 e5 and usually its continuation is dxe5 d4. This opening is usually done against the Queen’s Gambit. It was initially performed by Cavallotti. It was against Salvioli at the Milan tournament of 1881.

In New York, 1893, this opening was tried by Adolf Albin against Lasker and from that incident, it was known as Albin-Counter Gambit. It is not a usual practice in master level, but Russian Grandmaster Alexander Morozevich has made so many successful uses of this opening. In the Encyclopedia of Chess Opening, this version of chess opening is usually coded as D08 and D09.

In the New York tournament, 1893, the counter-gambit was introduced at a high international level between Adolf Albin and Lasker and the game went as follows:

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 d4 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.a3 Bg4 6. h3 Bxf3 7.gxf3 Nxe5 8.f4 Nc6 9.Bg2 Qd7 10.b4 a6 11.Bb2 Rd8 12.Nd2 Nge7 13.Nb3 Nf5 14.Qd3 Be7 15.Be4! Nd6 16.Nc5 Qc8 17.Bf3! 0-0 18.Rg1 Ne8 19.Nb3 Qd7 20.0-0-0 Qd6 21.Kb1 Qxf4 22.Rg4 Qh6 23.Bxc6 bxc6 24.Rxd4 Rd6 25.c5 Re6 26.Qxa6 Qxh3 27.R4d3 Qg2 28.Nd4 Rf6? 29.Re3 Bd8 30.Nc2 Rxf2 31.Rxd8 1-0

Play through the moves of this fine game and don't be too hard on Albin for not beating Lasker.