How to play against the Albin-Counter Gambit

I would like to point out IM Pfren's post:

On the other hand, almost every schoolboy already knows that 5.a3! gives a serious advantage to white in all lines.

Kiril Georgiev has covered this in his "Squeezing the Gambits" book in exemplary fashion. Boris Avrukh also suggests 5.a3 in his white repertoire book, although his analysis is not as thorough/convincing.

The dynamicy of Albin-Counter is more than Tarrash. Gambits are meant to be accepted (accept for maybe the queen's gambit) not to be declined. When they are accepted, the gambit player should have some counter play. What you are saying is that black gets no counter play.

My coach is 2500... I don't think you should argue with him.

1. The statements that gambits should be accepted and not be declined shows dogmatic thinking and is for people who play checkers. You can offer a gambit but your opponent chooses if he wants to decline it or accept it. There are several gambits I decline as black and 1 I tend to decline as white (benko). 
2. I am saying the a3 variation is a good way to combat the Albin Counter gambit and that it leads to positions where white has the advantage and black has very little dynamic counterplay. Look at the variations i showed. In all white is clearly better. Your Bf5 setup might work against g3 but clearly not against a3. 
3. The fact that both Georgiev and Averuk analysed the a3 variation and both showed and advantage for white and non of the top GM's (except Morro who used it as a suprise weapon a few times) play the Albin should ring a bell. If it was the opening where black got an unbalanced dynamic equalish position by force dont you think atleast some would pick it up instead of for example the grunfeld ?

There are many reasons a 2500 might tell you to play the Albin. Maybe you 2 have a short term commitment and you asked him to pump your rating by 200 points because as a 1500 you can probably do that with an opening rep around with dynamic not totally correct systems. 

But it is hard to believe that a coach with a long term commited relation to improve your chess would suggest playing the albin as an opening. I used to have a strong coach (a FIDE senior trainer) and the only thing he every tought me about the opening was: Development, Casteling, Connection of the rooks and then play chess. He certainly did not suggest unsound opening systems

That's very interesting. I put this into Fritz. It likes 5Qb3. As you mentioned white's c4 changes the "French" perception BUT allows white's queen out.

From black's perpective I like 3... ed. I tried for a year or two to make the line 1e4 e6 2d4 d5 3ed ed 4 c4 to work for white but black has active equality.

I find White's best line to be 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5? 3.dxe5 d4 4.a3 intending 5.e3

Albin & Pirc, the most important Slovenian opening theorist (theorist, does this word exist?:D)

I gave up the albin counter gambit because I found that many white players on my level knows the theory, and then I always end up in a position where I have no fully compensation for the sacced pawn

Look. I'm not a 1500. Check my USCF chess rating. Of course, don't use my username. Use my real name.

If you are 1500, 1700 or even 2150 learning openings only slightly improve your chess in the long run (opposed to in the short run where aggressive opening can give you extra rating) where middlegame and endgame improve you a lot more.

Fact is that you try to defend an opening that is at best slightly dubious and you would do better to play normal development moves and study middle and endgames if you want to get a high rating in the longterm

Albin Counter Gambit [Free repertoire against d4]

https://www.chessonly.com/albin-counter-gambit/

it's been four years since the last comment?