Hi!

I've always been attracted to gambits. Right now I am experimenting with the Albin Counter Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5).

I was wondering if you might have a game or two to share. I have many master games (including numerous Morozevic games and the Lasker Trap), but I am looking for other variations of the gambit.

So, if you have a game you would like to share, please post them here or email me.

I should also mention I am writing a book about the Alblin, so if you want your game or analysis published in a book, please let me know that as well.

Thanks and happy King hunting! ;)

Barefoot_Player

melvinbluestone,

3.dxe5 is considered the stongest move. 3.e3 is passive and allows black some easy paths to equality with 3...exd4 4.Qxd4 Nf6 to be followed by 5...Nc6. It is actaully stronger to play 4...Nf6 rfirst then 5...Nc6, instead of the other way around.

3.e4 is better than 3.e3, but not as strong as 3.dxe5. By the way, 3.e4 is known as the Spassky variation.

I taught myself enough German to read the chess books in their language. I am not suggesting you do the same, but at the same there is a lot of untapped knowledge to be found.

Hope this helps!

Barefoot_Player

PS - I've never heard of the Lobster Variation but it doesn't seem as strong as some the main lines. Usaully I just try to grab the center and castle queenside.

I have a book on it, Gambiteer 2 by nigel davies. Inspirational rather than complete I  would say; it's one of those books where the author tryes to convince you that white is the one needing care to equalize ;a nice book but nothing more. I don't think it's worth buying for a player which already knows the opening well (by the way only half of the book is devoted to the albin).

Personally speaking, i played the Albin for a while with decent results; however i quickly got really bored since most white players go for the a3 or Nd2 lines(I can't blame them!) leading to a += rather dry queenless middlegame. I have nothing against queenless middlegames, as long as it's not a two-result game where white pushes his small advantage without risk; and this is the case in  the Albin. It's a matter of tastes i guess, but describing the albin as a sharp counter to 1.d4 is rather wrong; due to those lines it turned out to be the most static defence i ever played.

Estragon,

You being a 2400+ player, I would expect a little more than just dismissing a gambit without refering to any analysis or general principles.

Shame on you!

j/king

Rob

4.Nf3 Nc6 5.a3! is the toughest line for Black. Initially suggested as a virtual refutation of the gambit in Avrukh's white opening repertoire book (first volume), and also at Kiril Georgiev's newer superb book "Squeezing the Gambits". Georgiev has better analysis, as well as better computer support, so his suggestions are more trustworthy.

Dzindzi recently issued a video here, suggesting 5.g3, but all things mentioned in there are well-known since at least ten years ago, and it does not deal at all with Black's most reliable line- so...

And, as already said, after 2.Nf3 there is no Albin handy.

The problem with Albin counter gambit is that white can simply avoid it with 2.Nf3 and c4 next move transposes back to Queen's Gambit.Of course white sacrifices some lines where the king's knight goes to e2 but black loses a whole opening.It's good  as a surprise weapon but you need to know Queen's Gambit too.

I like Budapest Gambit a lot(1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5) but has the same problem.

2.Nf3 may not be the right solution for someone who's employing the QGD exchange variation, but for people playing Catalans and such it's perfectly fine. It is also particularly effective against the Chigorin, as white can answer 2...Nc6 with 3.g3 or 3.Bf4, holding c2-c4 back for few moves.

On the Albin, 5...Nge7 is the toughest after 5.a3! (still not totally adequate).

On 5...Bg4 6.b4 (somewhat more precise than 5.Nbd2) Qe7 7.Nbd2 Nxe5 8.Nxe5 Qxe5 9.Bb2 0-0-0 10.h3 Black is in a bad shape (the d4 pawn looks doomed). Radjabov managed to save his lost game against Gelfand, but the position is definitely not to be repeated.

It means that a white player who is playing some non-Nge2 QGD system, can employ 2.Nf3 and not bother about several minor Black defences (including the Chigorin and the Albin).

Oh, and 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c4 e5 does not transpose back: 4.Nxe5 is an easy advantage to white.

at least this thread has some content for a change...