Part
1 | Part 2 GIVING …Bg4 A TRY
G Danner (2405) – M Kekelidze (2475)
3rd IECC, 2002
Boarding our time machine and arriving at the
present day we find that the Albin still has supporters
on the master scene. Defensive technique has improved
immeasurably over the past fifteen years but Black’s
attacking ideas still pack a punch.
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5
3.dxe5 d4 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.g3
After 5.Nbd2 I like 5...Bf5. Very unclear play
results after 6.Nb3 Bb4+ 7.Bd2 Be7 8.Bf4 (8.a3
f6!? 9.Bf4 fxe5 10.Nxe5 Bf6 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.Nc5
Qe7 13.Na6 g5 14.Bd2 Kf7 15.Bb4 Qd7 16.Qd2 Ne7
17.0–0–0 c5 18.Nxc5 Qc6, Schlechtmann-Solntzev,
Moscow 1964. Red Mist!) 8...Bb4+ (Black has to
be satisfied with a draw if White so desires)
9.Nbd2 Nge7 10.a3 Bxd2+ 11.Qxd2 Ng6 12.Rd1 0–0
13.e3 (13.Bg5 Qd7 14.Nxd4 Ncxe5 15.e3 Rfe8, unclear)
13...dxe3 14.Qxe3 Qe7 15.Be2 Rfe8, unclear.
5...Bg4 6.Bg2
Qd7 7.Nbd2 Bh3
He fiddled with his Bishop, but the end result
is still the same.
8.0–0 h5
9.Qa4 Bxg2 10.Kxg2 h4
No chance for any block this time.
11.b4
Danner calls the bluff – where is the mate?
11...hxg3 12.fxg3
Qh3+ 13.Kg1 d3
RIPPING OPEN
THE d-FILE I guess when you play in this
style to be concerned about another pawn is ridiculous.
Kekelidze unblocks the d-file and frees up the
d4-square for a Knight.
14.exd3 0–0–0
15.Rf2 Rxd3 16.Nf1
Packing the penalty box.
16...Bxb4 17.Be3
Nh6 18.Rd1 Ra3
BLACK IS COMING FROM ALL ANGLES!
19.Qc2 Ng4 20.Qf5+
Kb8 21.Ng5?
Just a miscalculation under
fire. Veteran Danner tires of defending and wants
to hit back. Relatively best was 21.Re2 Qh5 22.Qxh5
Rxh5 23.Nd4 Nxe3 24.Nxc6+ bxc6 25.Rb1 a5 26.Nxe3
Rxe5 27.Rb3 Kc8
THERE’S NO DOUBT ABOUT BLACK’S ADVANTAGE
21...Qh5 22.Nxf7
Nxe3 23.Nxe3 Rxe3 24.Qxh5 Rxh5 25.g4 Rh4
WHITE IS DOOMED
It’s only one pawn
for the piece and after a bit of tidying up, Kekelidze
wins comfortably.
26.Rf4 a5 27.Kg2 Nxe5
28.Nxe5 Rxe5 29.Rd5 Rxh2+! 30.Kxh2 Rxd5 31.Rf7
31.cxd5 Bd6 is also easy for
Black.
31...Rd2+ 32.Kh3 g5 33.Rf5
Rxa2 34.Rxg5 Ra3+ 35.Kg2 Rc3 36.Rg8+ Ka7 37.g5
Rxc4 38.g6 Rc6 39.Kf3 a4 40.g7 Rg6 41.Ra8+ Kxa8
42.g8=Q+ Rxg8, 0–1 .THE ALBIN TRAP
Le Thanh Huyen - Phan
Dan Huyen
VIETNAM, 2003
Finally a fiasco from Vietnam, not the first,
nor last.
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5
d4 4.e3 Nc6?!
Already missing the excellent
4...Bb4+!, although the analysis is not as conclusive
as is commonly believed: 
SPRINGING
THE TRAP
5.Bd2
dxe3 6.fxe3 (6.Bxb4 exf2+ 7.Ke2 fxg1=N+ 8.Ke1
Qh4+ 9.Kd2 Nc6 10.Bc3 Bg4, winning, is the famous
Albin “trap”) 6...Qh4+ 7.g3 Qe4 8.Qf3
Bxd2+ 9.Nxd2 Qxe5 10.0–0–0 Nf6 11.Qf4
Qe7 12.Ngf3 0–0 13.Bd3 Ng4 14.Rdf1 Qxe3
15.Qxe3 Nxe3 16.Re1 Ng4 
BLACK’S
HAPPY, BUT WHITE CAN TWITCH
Black is better, but White
can make a fight of this position – although
a pawn is a pawn is a pawn.
5.exd4 Nxd4 6.Be3
Bb4+ 7.Nc3 c5 8.Nge2 Bg4 9.f3
9.Bxd4! when no further commentary is needed.
9...Qh4+ 10.Bf2
Qg5 11.Nxd4 cxd4 12.Qxd4 Rd8 13.Qxg4 Qd2,
mate. 
DOH!
One of the worst games I have ever seen, although
I enjoy Vietnamese food very much.
This short article amounts to nothing more then
naked propaganda. I’d just like to see
a few more Albin Counter-gambits out there. I
think
there are practical chances for Black, but that
the element of surprise is vital. The opponent
cannot have any time to prepare! Once a tournament
is about right. Given those limitations, why
not
have a go yourself?
Bibliography:
ALBIN COUNTER GAMBIT, Batsford, By Paul Lamford.
ALBIN GEGENSGAMBIT, Schachverlag Kania, By Raetski
and Tschetwerik (highly recommended).
UNUSUAL QUEEN’S GAMBIT DECLINED, Everyman,
By Chris Ward (to see John Donaldson’s review
of this book, click HERE).
MEGABASE 2003
TWIC
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