The Albin Countergambit is the most aggressive answer to the Queen's Gambit: instead of defending, Black sacrifices a pawn with 2...e5 and after 3.dxe5 d4 drives a wedge into White's camp. The d4 pawn cramps the opponent's pieces and hampers natural development, and the whole opening is famous for the Lasker Trap, in which Black promotes to a knight rather than a queen - and wins the queen.
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The starting position. Play the opening out move by move - at a branching point several continuations are available.
The dimmed moves are the rest of the main line, and the dots mark branching points. Click any move to jump to that position.
The Queen's Gambit is built so that Black usually defends: he shores up the d5 pawn with ...e6 or ...c6. The Albin Countergambit breaks that logic - Black gives up a pawn and goes on the offensive himself.
After 2...e5 3.dxe5 d4 a pawn becomes the main piece on the board. It sits on d4, takes c3 and e3 away from White and stops the b1 knight and c1 bishop from developing normally.
The compensation for the pawn lies precisely in that wedge and the lead in development. If White manages to finish developing calmly and remove the d4 pawn, the extra material tells.
The main move is 4.Nf3. White leaves the d4 pawn alone, does not rush e3 and simply develops. Then usually g3 and Bg2: from the long diagonal the bishop presses on Black's position and supports the e5 pawn.
The modern alternative is 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.a3 with the idea of b2-b4. White pushes the opponent's pieces off the queenside and gradually neutralises the activity.
On no account play 4.e3 - that walks straight into the Lasker Trap. In general, the urge to break the wedge up immediately is what leads to trouble.
The plan is simple: hold the d4 pawn as long as possible and develop the pieces around it. The knight goes to c6 and the bishop to g4, pinning the f3 knight, the main defender of e5.
Black is often in no hurry to win the e5 pawn back and plays for pressure instead: queen to d7, castling queenside, and pawns advancing on the kingside.
The key point is not to let White simply eat the d4 pawn. Once the wedge disappears, the compensation evaporates and all that is left is a position a pawn down.
In theory White keeps a small edge with precise play: the main line with 4.Nf3 and g3 is considered unpleasant for Black.
In practice it is quite different. The countergambit is rare, it is played sharply, and White can easily go wrong as early as move four - all the more so because the natural 4.e3 loses.
It is a sensible surprise weapon against players who prepare for a quiet Queen's Gambit, and a good choice for fast games.
The typical set-ups this opening leads to - learn them, and the plan follows by itself.
The opening's main idea: White is a pawn up, but the d4 pawn takes away c3 and e3 and gets in the way of developing the queenside.
Wherever the king goes, Black takes the queen on d1 next move. It all began with promoting the pawn to a knight rather than a queen.
These are the main named variations. Click any one of them and it loads straight onto the board above, where you can play it out move by move. The trainer itself holds more lines than this: it also covers main-line continuations and transpositions that have no name of their own.
White develops and takes the long diagonal under control. Considered the best way to meet the countergambit.
White prepares b4 and pushes Black's pieces back without creating weaknesses.
White does not take the pawn at all and simply develops - a practical way to sidestep the opponent's preparation.
What to avoid, and what catches an unprepared opponent.
The opening's best-known trap. The point is the underpromotion: the pawn becomes a knight with check, not a queen. After 8...Bg4+ the king can go anywhere, but Black takes the queen on d1 in every line.
White's typical mistake: clinging to material before finishing development. In this opening an extra pawn is worth little while the pieces sit at home.
Traps in other openings - the 12 most common opening traps.
Take a short quiz and find out which chess opening suits your MBTI personality type - 16 types, each with its own opening and a walkthrough on the board.
Black's sharp answer to the Queen's Gambit: 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5. Black sacrifices a pawn so that after 3.dxe5 d4 he can drive a wedge into d4 that cramps White's pieces and hampers his queenside development.
After 4.e3? Bb4+ 5.Bd2 dxe3 6.Bxb4?? exf2+ 7.Ke2 Black promotes the pawn to a knight with check - 7...fxg1N+! Promoting to a queen would be weaker, because White would answer Qxd8. After 8.Rxg1 Bg4+ White loses the queen.
The key is 4.Nf3, leaving the d4 pawn alone, and then g3 and Bg2. The move 4.e3 walks into the Lasker Trap, and attempts to eat the wedge at once usually cost you development.
With precise play White keeps a small edge, which is why it is rare in top tournaments. But as an opening surprise and a weapon for fast games the countergambit works perfectly well: the positions are sharp and a mistake costs White dearly.
Want the tactics that decide these positions? Start with the 12 most common opening traps and tactics for beginners. If you are just starting out, read the rules of chess and how to set up the board.
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