Hi, i play it , but i may not be the best person to give you advice as i am only rated 1600. what can we say, the main idea, or one of the main ideas is to disrupt whites natural development, specifically taking the natural c3 square away from whites queens knight.
Plans for White
1. White plays g3, Bg2 and 0-0 followed by expansion on the queenside with a3 and b4 or a more direct attack with Qa4 and Nbd2-b3.
Examples: Jovanovic,M - Fry,P and Polugaevsky,L - Vasiukov,E
2. Sometimes White prefers to delay Nbd2 and complete the kingside development. White can play Qb3, attacking b7 and putting indirect pressure against the d4 pawn.
Example: Lazarev,V - Meszaros,G
3. A plan involving Nbd2, a3, b4 and Bb2, backed up by Nb3 if necessary is also possible. The pressure on the d4 pawn will often force Black to give one or both bishops, unless he gest counterplay, either against the c4 pawn or down the h-file with Bh3 and/or ...h5-h4.
Example: Goldin,A - Mengarini,A
4. An early e3, liquidating the irritating d4 pawn, usually with a preparatory a3 to prevent ...Bb4. This often result in an exchange of the queens.
Examples: Farago,I - Mestel,J and Hsu Li Yang - Handoko,E
5. Often, after Black has played ...Bh3, White has the push e6, giving back the pawn to slow down his opponent's attack or to free the e5 case for his Knight.
Examples: Shemeakin,A - Reprintsev,A, Khenkin,I - Nieuweboer,M and Spassky,B - Forintos,G
Plans for Black
1. Usually Black responds to this plan with ...Bg4 or ...Be6 followed by ...Qd7 and ...0-0-0 and then attacks down the h-file with ...h5. A quick ...Bh3 is also interesting.
Examples: Van der Wiel,J - Tiviakov,S and Gambini,P - Guidoni,M
2. A totally different approach for Black is to regain the pawn with ...Nge7-g6 or ...Qe7.
Examples: Nemeth,J - Chetverik,M and Portisch,L - Forintos,G
3. A relatively new plan for Black is to play ...Bc5 followed by ...a6 or ...a5.
Examples: Savchenko,S - Moroz,A, Seres - Chetverik,M, and Izeta Txabarri,F - Rojo Gomez,J
4. Often Black develops quickly his queenside (...Qe7 followed by ...0-0-0) and tries to break through on the opposite side or/and in the centre with ...d3.
Example: Suetin,A - Mosionzhik,I
5. Black can sacrifice a pawn with ...f6 and gain active play on the e-file.
Examples: Barbora,J - Benesch,H and Yuferov,S - Kupreichik,V
6. An important theme frequently encountered in the Albin Counter-Gambit is the break in the centre with ...d3.
Examples: Bernstein,O - Janowski,D, Rajkovic,D - Muse,M, Thystrup,P - Keith,D and Borovikov,V - Reprintsev,A.
24 Jan '10 23:31Hi, I need a new reply against 1.d4. Until recently, I've been playing the KID, but I keep finding myself being slowly suffocated, and I need something new. Does anyone play the Albin Countergambit?