The Albin Counter-Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5!?) has been a favourite of Grandmasters and amateur players alike since it was popularised by Adolf Albin in the 1890s. This hyper-aggressive system, which immediately sets out to destabilise White’s position, had a renaissance in the mid-2000s when none other than GM Alexander Morozevich revitalised the opening with a number of fresh ideas and excellent results.
Over the past decade though, the consensus among Grandmasters was that White had found several ‘antidotes’ to the Morozevich setup. However, upon further inspection, not only do I believe the opening is completely sound, but that a number of leading theoreticians may have overestimated White’s chances at achieving a serious advantage. In fact, as this DVD will show, I believe that it is White who has to take extreme care not to stand worse out of the opening, and that I have found a number of extremely dangerous Theoretical Novelties which will truly put the Albin Counter-Gambit back on the map.
• Video running time: 5 h 05 min(English)
• With interactive training incuding video feedback
• Extra: exclusive database with more than 50 model games
• Including CB Reader
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.