Training – Easy Chess Tips

Category: Training

The Albin Countergambit Trap White Must Avoid

July 25, 2023

This is the second of my two-part mini series about the Albin Countergambit, based on a blitz game I played on Gameknot.com a few days ago.

In this video I go through the first few moves of the Albin Countergambit, which is a “counter gambit” to the Queen’s Gambit.

Next, I draw your attention to a trap that White must avoid on the 7th move and 8th moves.

The second half of the video looks at the Stockfish computer analysis of the blitz game that I played in the video that’s embedded in my previous blog post: easychesstips.com/what-3-be6-in-the-albin-countergambit

And here is the 2nd video in the mini-series:

The Albin Countergambit

Here are the opening moves of the Albin Countergambit, as expounded by John Watson in his book, A Strategic Chess Opening Repertoire for White (pp. 54-55):

d4 d5
c4 e5
dxe5 d4
Nf3 Nc6
Nbd2 …

As can be seen, the point of the Albin Countergambit is for Black to advance his d-pawn to d4.

Against an inexperienced player, that could lead to a nasty little trap that White needs to avoid…

What? 3… Be6 in the Albin Countergambit?

July 24, 2023

This is the first of a two part mini series based on a game I played a few days ago in which my opponent (Black) challenged my Queen’s Gambit opening with the Albin Countergambit, which goes like this:

d4 d5
c4 e5

It’s an exciting way for Black to play because after just two moves two gambits have been offered, one by White (Queen’s Gambit) and one by Black (Albin Countergambit).

I’ll talk more about the Albin Countergambit in my next post. Today’s post is about how the game itself played out.

An Unexpected Move…

Suffice it to say that after 3. dxe5 I was expecting that Black would either advance his pawn to d4 or take the c4 pawn…

Instead, Black surprised me by moving his Bishop to e6. I smelt a rat, but I was also vaguely aware that White must beware of a trap or two in the Albin Countergambit and was not certain that Black was hoping to spring one…

Black’s Blunder is the First And The Worst!

As it turned out, Black was the first to blunder, in the seventh move.

Traps and Blunders in the Queen’s Gambit Declined

July 6, 2023

This training video is based on an online blitz game in which I opened with 1.d4. The opening developed into the Queen’s Gambit Declined:

1.d4 d5
2.c4 e6
3.Nc3 Nf6
4.cxd5 exd5
5.Bg5 …

Watch The Video!

Mind the Trap!

Here, as Black I would develop the Bishop to e7 because it unpins the f6 Knight from the Queen and opens the way for kingside castling.

However, my opponent played the perfectly acceptable 5… Nbd7 which, because the f6 Knight still SEEMS to be pinned to the Queen, can lead White into a very nasty trap…

5… Nbd7 6. Nxd5?? Nxd5 7. Bxd8…

Woohoo! White has captured the Queen and must be winning…

NOT SO FAST, BUSTER!

Black instantly responds with the killer move,

7… Bb4+

And White’s only option is to block with the Queen: 8. Qd2

Now, there is no hurry for Black. The Queen can be claimed later.

8… Kxd8!

1.d4 Chess Opening Repertoire: Nimzo-Indian Mnemonic Memory Challenge!

August 21, 2021

In this video I demonstrate how my 1.d4 chess repertoire mnemonic memory system works by looking at a random selection of Nimzo-Indian variations.

The challenge is to see if I can recreate the specific variations from the keyword associated with their location in my memory system.

The Nimzo-Indian Variations in my 1.d4 Repertoire

I have included ten variations of the Nimzo-Indian in my 186 variation 1.d4 opening repertoire. They are variations 41-50 in my system and as such they are allocated the following keywords based on the Major mnemonic memory system:

41 = “rat” = 4… c5
42 = “rhino” = 4… b6
43 = “ram” = 4… 0-0
44 = “rower” = 4… 0-0
45 = “rail” = 4… d5
46 = “arch” = 4… d5
47 = “ruck” = 4… Nc6
48 = “roof” = 4… d6
49 = “rope” = 4… Ne4
50 = “lasoo” = 4… Ne4

Watch on YouTube (below) or on Odysee (link):

Look Before You Leap Into Extending Your Pawn Chain!

May 30, 2021

Beware of casually extending your pawn chain to “usher away” your opponent’s queen!

Here’s what happened in an online rapid game I played against my regular opponent. All I can say is that none of my opening errors were punished by my opponent, so the #pubchessbluffer bluffed his way through to victory!

I was White and opened with 1.d4:

d4 d5
c4 c6
Nc3 Nf6
Nf3 [my usual move here, if I follow John Watson’s repertoire, is 4. e3] g6
Bg5 Bg7
e3 0-0
h3 Qb6
b3 Ne4
Nxe4 dxe4
Bxe7? exf3
Bxf8 Kxf8
a3? Nd7?
c5?? Qc7? [White extends his pawn chain and Black misses a game-winning opportunity.]

Here’s the situation after 13. c5??

Can you find the best move for Black after 13. c5?