Trends in the Albin Counter Gambit

In 1893 in New York, Adolf Albin (1848–1920) made a provocative attempt to combat the Queen’s Gambit against Emanuel Lasker. With 2...e5 – since then known as Albin Counter-Gambit – he simply sent a second, undefended, central pawn forward. After 3.dxe5 the idea behind the pawn sacrifice is to advance courageously with 3...d4, to deprive White’s queen’s knight of its natural developing square c3 and to claim a space advantage in the centre. Not exactly a modest plan! If White thinks he can immediately challenge the pawn with 4.e3, he is running the danger of falling into one of the oldest opening traps. 4...Bb4+ 5.Bd2 dxe3 offers the Bb4 as a sacrifice. After 6.Bxb4? exf2+ 7.Ke2 comes a nasty surprise: 7...fxg1N+! But there are also new developments in the main lines which are promising for Black.