hi, I am trying to find a satisfactory way to play against that most ancient but annoying queens gambit. I was playing a Greek friend and he showed me how impossible it is for black to try to keep the pawn. I tried the Slav, which although has a really good reputation I did not enjoy, the Kings Indian was my normal response but i found i was getting lost in the closed positions, so i settled for the Albin counter gambit (1.d4 ..d5, 2.c4 ..e5!?), the book move after this for white is 3. dxe5 ..d4. Another friend said that he would never dream of 3. dxe5 and suggested that to him, e3 was the natural move, I felt it was a bit passive so I tested this out and came to the following conclusions,

1.d4 ..d5
2.c4 ..e5!?
3.e3 ..dxc4
4.Bxc4 exd4
5.exd4 Nc6 and white has an isolated queen pawn.

also what if 3 ..exd4

1.d4 ..d5
2.c4 ..e5!?
3.e3 ..exd4
4.exd4 ..Nf6
5. Nc3 ..Bb4+
6. a3 ..Bxc3+
7. bxc3 0-0 and whites pawn structure is shattered, isolated a pawn and doubled c pawns.

If anyone can help either as a protagonist of the queens gambit to say how they would play against the Albin counter, what they would play on move number three and why, then this would be most appreciated - kind regards Robert.

disclaimer: these variations in no way represent any type of objective truth and are simply given as a reference, please help me crack the queens gambit that most ancient and annoying of whites opening weapons!😀

After 3.e3 black can also play 3...Nc6 transposing into Chigorin.

Originally posted by Korch
After 3.e3 black can also play 3...Nc6 transposing into Chigorin.

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
hi, I am trying to find a satisfactory way to play against that most ancient but annoying queens gambit. I was playing a Greek friend and he showed me how impossible it is for black to try to keep the pawn. I tried the Slav, which although has a really good reputation I did not enjoy, the Kings Indian was my normal response but i found i was gettin ...[text shortened]... ease help me crack the queens gambit that most ancient and annoying of whites opening weapons!😀

Just to note that

1.d4 d5
2.c4 e5
3.e3 exd4
4.exd4 Nf6
5.Nc3 Bb4

can also arise from an Exchange French

1.e4 e6
2.d4 d5
3.exd5 exd5
4.c4 Nf6
5.Nc3 Bb4

I don't think this is very ambitious for White.

Originally posted by najdorfslayer
Okay....as an occasional Albin Counter Gambit player, I have found the variation below to be annoying to play against.

1.d4 d5
2.c4 e5
3.dxe5 d4
4.Nf3 Nc6
5.Nbd2 Nge7
6.Nb3 Nf5
7.e4 dxe3
8.Qxd8 Nxd8
9.fxe3

[fen]r1bnkb1r/ppp2ppp/8/4Pn2/2P5/1N2PN2/PP4PP/R1B1KB1R w KQkq - 0 1[/fen]

Here White has a good position

Originally posted by najdorfslayer
Just to note that

1.d4 d5
2.c4 e5
3.e3 exd4
4.exd4 Nf6
5.Nc3 Bb4

can also arise from an Exchange French

1.e4 e6
2.d4 d5
3.exd5 exd5
4.c4 Nf6
5.Nc3 Bb4

I don't think this is very ambitious for White.

[fen]rnbqk2r/ppp2ppp/5n2/3p4/1bPP4/2N5/PP3PPP/R1BQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1[/fen]

In his new book Gambiteer II, GM Nigel Davies recommends the Albin Countergambit.

I would take on e5 and play 5. a3 because I don't like the activity Black gets with Bb4+.

Originally posted by exigentsky
I would take on e5 and play 5. a3 because I don't like the activity Black gets with Bb4+.

I get the impression based on my limited experience that always better for white is nd2 and not Nc3.

Originally posted by najdorfslayer
Yeah lines with a3 are annoying for Black

I've dabbled in the Albin Countergambit from time to time, with varying results.

Recently I finished a nice miniature (Game 4508226) after white played an early kingside fianchetto, which has influenced me to believe that 5. g3 is reasonable, but not necessarily strongest.

Also, I'm currently engaged in a game (Game 4655555) with Ceders, a strong player who has played the Albin Countergambit quite often, in addition to the Chigorin's Defence. Our game is interesting, but I found out the hard way that my gambit was completely unsound. Game in progress.

And finally, I thought I'd throw a nice website or two out there, too:

http://www.jeremysilman.com/chess_bits_pieces/063003_xrated_albin_cg.html

This short little article only offers games where white plays a kingside fianchetto reccommends meeting that with moves like Bf5, Qd2, Bh3, O-O-O, and h7-h5-h4 with a kinside attack.

http://www.kenilworthchessclub.org/games/java/summer05/albin-nge7.htm

This article is massive, including enough lines to blow your eyes. Definitely a nice article for a true Albin Countergambiteer.

http://www.kenilworthchessclub.org/kenilworthian/2005/10/albin-counter-gambit-bibliography.html

And finally, this could be considered as a list of additional Albin Countergambit resources, on the net and elsewhere.

In their excellent book, Winning with the London, FM Johnsen and GM Kovacevic explore the possilbility of White playing an Albin Countergambit Reversed: 1 d4 d5 2 Bf4 c5 3 e4!?

Originally posted by gaychessplayer
In their excellent book, Winning with the London, FM Johnsen and GM Kovacevic explore the possilbility of White playing an Albin Countergambit Reversed: 1 d4 d5 2 Bf4 c5 3 e4!?