Queen's Gambit Declined: Albin Countergambit
The Albin Countergambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5) is an uncommon and aggressive answer to the Queen's Gambit. Read the guide
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Statistics from Lichess
5,586,870 games: White 49.1% / Draw 4.9% / Black 46.0%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 3,152,0453.2M | ||
| 825,593826K | ||
| 680,268680K | ||
| 667,532668K | ||
| 195,105195K | ||
| 26,37626K | ||
| 11,69212K | ||
| 11,32411K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 10, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.82 White is better
Best play: 3. dxe5 Ne7 4. cxd5 Qxd5 5. Bd2 Qxe5 6. Nc3 Nbc6 7. e4 Ng6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: Black scores 46% under 1400, 48% at 2200 and up and 41% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 1.5M | |
| 1400–1799 | 3.5M | |
| 1800–2199 | 3.2M | |
| 2200 and up | 382K | |
| Masters, over the board | 1,459 |
Master games
- Mamedyarov, S. – Nepomniachtchi, I.
- Ivanchuk, V. – Morozevich, A.
- Grischuk, A. – Nepomniachtchi, I.
- Grischuk, A. – Nepomniachtchi, I.
- Gelfand, B. – Morozevich, A.
Rated blitz, rapid and classical Lichess games by rating band, and over-the-board games of players rated 2200+ from the Lichess masters database, updated Sep 26, 2026
Description
The Albin Countergambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5) is an uncommon and aggressive answer to the Queen's Gambit. After the usual 3.dxe5 d4 Black has given up a pawn for a wedge in the centre on d4 and some attacking chances.
Origins
The opening was first played by Cavallotti against Salvioli at Milan in 1881, but it takes its name from Adolf Albin, who played it against Emanuel Lasker at New York in 1893. It is seldom seen at master level, though Alexander Morozevich used it successfully in the 2000s.
The idea
The pawn on d4 is stronger than it may appear, and it gives Black a wedge in the centre. White often tries to return the extra pawn at a good moment to gain a positional advantage.
Main lines
- 4.Nf3, the Normal Line. The main line continues 4...Nc6 (4...c5, the Tartakower Defense, allows 5.e3 because Black no longer has the bishop check). White's main options are then 5.a3, 5.Nbd2 (Modern Line) and 5.g3 (Fianchetto Variation), perhaps White's surest try for an advantage, with Bg2 and Nbd2; Black often castles queenside, as in 5.g3 Be6 6.Nbd2 Qd7 7.Bg2 O-O-O 8.O-O Bh3.
- 4.e3?, which walks into the Lasker Trap: 4...Bb4+ 5.Bd2 dxe3! 6.Bxb4?? exf2+ 7.Ke2 fxg1=N+! 8.Rxg1 Bg4+, winning the queen, a rare underpromotion in practical play.
- 4.e4, the Spassky Variation, avoiding the trap; according to Minev, 4...Nc6! gives Black the better game.
Strengths and weaknesses
Strengths
- An active, surprising answer to the Queen's Gambit, with traps such as the Lasker Trap.
- A central wedge on d4 and chances for an attack.
Weaknesses
- It is a real gambit: White keeps an extra pawn and can return it for a positional edge.
- With careful development, especially 5.g3, White has good chances for an advantage.
Who should play it
The Albin suits Black players who want sharp, attacking play against 1.d4 and are willing to give a pawn for it.
The numbers
On Lichess White leads at every level: 52.3% against 43.7% under 1400, 49.7% against 46.2% at 1400–1799, 49.1% against 45.8% at 1800–2199 and 48.9% against 44.2% from 2200 up. There are only about 1,500 master games, too few to draw firm conclusions.
Suggest an improvement or report a mistake
How to play against the Queen's Gambit Declined: Albin Countergambit
3. e3 scores best for White: 52.4%, with White winning 49.9% and Black 45.1% of 668K games. The most played, 3. dxe5, scores 51.8% in 3.2M games, and 3. cxd5 scores lowest: 50.9%. Stockfish's first choice is 3. dxe5.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Popularity by year
The Queen's Gambit Declined: Albin Countergambit has lost ground since 2016: 0.19% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.25% (its peak: 0.28% in 2018).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.25% | 88,844 |
| 2017 | 0.26% | 144,395 |
| 2018 | 0.28% | 217,668 |
| 2019 | 0.25% | 306,808 |
| 2020 | 0.22% | 649,802 |
| 2021 | 0.23% | 883,064 |
| 2022 | 0.22% | 809,516 |
| 2023 | 0.22% | 816,132 |
| 2024 | 0.2% | 714,619 |
| 2025 | 0.19% | 656,732 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.19% | 208,195 |
Share of rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 (blitz, rapid and classical) that reach this position, by year; 2026: January to April. Which openings are rising and falling
Variations (3)
All 12 named lines that continue from here
- D08 Lasker Trap 5 moves
- D08 Normal Line 4 moves
- D08 Spassky Variation 4 moves
- D09 Queen's Gambit Declined: Albin Countergambit, Fianchetto Variation 5 moves
- D08 Queen's Gambit Declined: Albin Countergambit, Modern Line 5 moves
- D08 Queen's Gambit Declined: Albin Countergambit, Tartakower Defense 4 moves
- D08 Queen's Gambit Declined: Albin Countergambit, Balogh Variation 5 moves
- D09 Be6 Line 5 moves
- D09 Bf5 Line 5 moves
- D09 Bg4 Line 5 moves
- D08 Queen's Gambit Declined: Albin Countergambit, Janowski Variation 5 moves
- D08 Queen's Gambit Declined: Albin Countergambit, Krenosz Variation 8 moves
Sources
- History and theory: adapted from the Wikipedia article Albin Countergambit, version of 26 August 2026, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Results: Lichess opening explorer, figures collected from September to November 2026.
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Queen's Gambit Declined: Albin Countergambit (D08)”. Lichess data as of 10 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/queens-gambit-declined-albin-countergambit