Chess Codex
Tree path 6 levels Queen's Pawn Game › Queen's Gambit › Queen's Gambit Declined: Albin Countergambit › Normal Line › Queen's Gambit Declined: Albin Countergambit, Modern Line › Queen's Gambit Declined: Albin Countergambit, Balogh Variation
  1. Chess Codex
  2. Queen's Pawn Game D00
  3. Queen's Gambit D06
  4. Queen's Gambit Declined: Albin Countergambit D08
  5. Normal Line D08
  6. Queen's Gambit Declined: Albin Countergambit, Modern Line D08
  7. Queen's Gambit Declined: Albin Countergambit, Balogh Variation D08 you are here
D08

Queen's Gambit Declined: Albin Countergambit, Balogh Variation

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Overview

Queen's Gambit Declined: Albin Countergambit, Balogh Variation is a sacrificial opening line filed under ECO D08 in the Closed & Semi-Closed Games group. The defining idea is the early concession of material to seize the initiative and unbalance the position.

The Closed & Semi-Closed Games group covers closed and semi-closed games — 1.d4 systems characterised by long strategic manoeuvring rather than early tactics.

Play reaches this position via 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 d4 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. Nbd2 Qe7, after 10 plies of opening development.

In the opening tree, this line branches off from Queen's Gambit Declined: Albin Countergambit, Modern Line, part of the broader Queen's Pawn Game system.

Use the board to walk through every move, check how the position has scored on Lichess, or take it head-to-head against Stockfish.

ECO code
D08
Group
Closed & Semi-Closed Games (D)
Plies
10
Parent
Queen's Gambit Declined: Albin Countergambit, Modern Line

This overview is generated automatically from the opening's metadata. Know this line well? Write a description — submissions are reviewed before publishing.

Statistics from Lichess

2,525 games · White 48.7% / Draw 5.0% / Black 46.4%

MovesGamesW / D / B
Nb31,773
g3332
a3304
Qa440
b335
Qb313
Ne47
h36

Source: Lichess Opening Explorer · cached 2026-09-26 02:20:20

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Related variations at the same level

Sister lines that share the same parent Queen's Gambit Declined: Albin Countergambit, Modern Line:

https://chesscodex.org/openings/queens-gambit-declined-albin-countergambit-balogh-variation