Counter-gambit Albin

The counter-gambit Albin is a opening Jeu of failures: a black gambit in answer to the Gambit Rams white.

In the classification ECO, it is indicated by the codes D08 and D09: its treatment occupies only one page, in all and for all, in the Encyclopédie of the openings of failures , which illustrates well its lack of popularity to high level. Usually regarded as risky, even lower for the blacks, it however recently found a certain favor after being adopted by very extremely GMI Alexander Morozevich.

History

The Albin counter-gambit was launched by the Rumanian player Adolf Albin in 1893 in New York against the future world champion Emmanuel Lasker, then in 1896, against Mikhail Tchigorine with Nuremberg. He was a great success with the tournament of Munich in 1900 and was adopted by the large attackers of the time: Frank Marshall, Eduard Mieses and Xavier Tartakover. Its vogue died out with the First World War. It still was however sporadically used thereafter.

On the other hand, certain followers rather readily use it in the competition by correspondence.

Alternatives

The Albin counter-gambit is obtained after the blows: 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e5

3. dxe5 (the counter-gambit is almost always accepted) d4, and now:

4. e4: alternative of Munich;

4. e3? Fb4+ 5.Fd2 dxe3 6.Fxb4 ? exf2+ 7.Re2 fxg1=C+ 8.Re1 Dh4 and the blacks are better;

4. Cf3 Cc6

5. e3? Fb4+ 6.Fd2 dxe3 7.Fxb4 exf2+ 8.Re2 Dxd1+ 9.Rxd1 Cxb4 and the blacks have a pawn moreover (f2), even if the survival of this one is not assured;
5. Cbd2: Alapine alternative;
5. a3: Lasker alternative;
5. g3: Tchigorine alternative.

Sources

Luc Henris, the counter-gambit Albin: 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5 , Commercial Jean-Louis Editions, Brussels, 1993.
Encyclopedia of the openings of failures , Volume D, Belgrade, 2004

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