The Albin Countergambit

The Albin Countergambit

Adolf Albin (September 14, 1848 – February 1, 1920) was a Romanian chess player, especially known for the countergambit that bears his name, and for the first chess book written in Romanian.

Life

He was born in Bucharest to a wealthy family. His forefathers, however, sprang from Hamburg, Germany and settled in Zhitomir, Ukraine in the 19th century, but later moved to Romania. After completing his studies in Vienna, he went back to Romania, where he ran the Frothier Printing House in Bucharest. Soon he became associated with Dr. Bethel Henry Baron von Stroussberg, working as a translator for the influential railroad tycoon who was nicknamed "The King of Railways." Stroussberg's inancial bankruptcy in 1875 led to Albin's exile in Vienna once again, together with his wife and 3 children. He died at age 72 in a Vienna sanatorium.

Chess career

Albin came to chess relatively late: according to the Oxford Companion to Chess he only learnt the game in his 20s and did not play in international events until his 40s. His best result came at New York 1893, where he finished second behind Emanuel Lasker (who scored a perfect 13/13), ahead of Jackson Showalter, Harry Nelson Pillsbury and others. He played in the very strong tournaments at Hastings 1895 (scoring 8.5/21) and Nuremberg 1896 (scoring 7/18). His tournament results on the whole were spotty, though he won individual games against several notable players, including world champion Wilhelm Steinitz at New York 1894 and Nuremberg 1896. 

He authored the first chess book in Romanian, Amiculu Joculu de Scachu Teoreticu si Practicu (published in Bucharest in 1872). Albin is the eponym of several chess opening variations, notably the Albin Countergambit in the Queen's Gambit

(1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5) and the Albin Attack in the French Defence  (1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e5 Nfd7 6.h4; also known as the Alekhine-Chatard Attack).

The Albin Countergambit is a chess opening that begins with the moves:

1. d4 d5

2. c4 e5

and the usual continuation is:

3. dxe5 d4

The opening is an uncommon defense to the Queen's Gambit. In exchange for the gambit pawn, Black has a central wedge at d4 and gets some chances for an attack. Often White will try to return the pawn at an opportune moment to gain a positional advantage.

In the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings the Albin Countergambit is assigned codes D08 and D09.

History

Although this opening was originally played by Cavallotti against Salvioli at the Milan tournament of 1881, it takes its name from Adolf Albin, who played it against Lasker in New York 1893. Though not played frequently at the master level, Russian Grandmaster Alexander Morozevich has recently made much successful use of it.

Variations

Lasker trap

The Black pawn at d4 is stronger than it may appear. The careless move 4.e3? can lead to the Lasker Trap. After 4...Bb4+ 5.Bd2 dxe3 6.Bxb4?? is a blunder—6...exf2+ 7.Ke2 fxg1=N+ and Black wins. The Lasker Trap is notable because it is rare to see an underpromotion in practical play.

 Spassky Variation

In the Spassky Variation White plays 4.e4 to take advantage of the fact that an en passant capture must be made immediately after the enemy pawn advances. So now after 4...Bb4+ 5.Bd2 the en passant capture ...dxe3 is no longer available to Black.

Main line

Main line after 3...d4 4.Nf3 Nc6 (4...c5 allows 5.e3 because Black no longer has the bishop check) and now White's primary options are: 

5.a3                      5.Nbd2                      5.g3

Perhaps White's surest try for an advantage is to fianchetto his king bishop with 5.g3 followed by Bg2 and Nbd2. Black will often castle queenside. 

A typical continuation is 5.g3 Be6 6.Nbd2 Qd7 7.Bg2 0-0-0 8.0-0 Bh3.

The Lasker Trap is a chess opening trap in the Albin Countergambit, named after Emanuel Lasker, although it was first noted by Serafino Dubois (Hooper & Whyld 1996, p. 219).[1] It is unusual in that it features an underpromotion as early as the seventh move.

The Albin Countergambit begins with the moves:

1. d4 d5

2. c4 e5

3. dxe5 d4

The black pawn on d4 is stronger than it appears.

4. e3?

Careless. Usual and better is 4.Nf3.

4... Bb4+

5. Bd2 dxe3!

Now White's best option is to accept doubled pawns with 6.fxe3.

6. Bxb4??,exf2+ Now 7.Kxf2 would lose the queen to 7...Qxd1, so White must play 7.Ke2.

7. Ke2 fxg1=N+! Blundering into the Lasker Trap.

Underpromotion is the key to the trap. (If instead 7...fxg1=Q, then 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.Rxg1 is okay for White.) Now 8.Rxg1 Bg4+ skewers White's queen, so the king must move again.

8. Ke1 Qh4+ If White tries 9.g3 then the fork 9...Qe4+ wins the rook on h1.

9. Kd2 Nc6 White is hopelessly lost. After 10.Bc3 Bg4 followed by 11...0-0-0+ is crushing

In an 1899 consultation game in Moscow, Blumenfeld, Boyarkow, and Falk playing White against Lasker tried 6.Qa4+?, but Black wins after this move also.

The game continued 6...Nc6 7.Bxb4 Qh4 8.Ne2 Qxf2+ 9.Kd1 Bg4 10.Nc3 0-0-0+ 11.Bd6 cxd6 12.e6 fxe6 13.Kc1 Nf6 14.b4 d5 15.b5 Ne5 16.cxd5 Nxd5 17.Qc2 Nb4 18.Nd1+ Nxc2 19.Nxf2 Rd2 White resigns.

  

The Encyclopedia of Chess Openings (volume D) gives 6.fxe3 as the relatively best move. Black gets a slight advantage, but White has avoided the worst and can defend.