The Albin Countergambit is against the Queen's Gambit: you give up the e-pawn and, after 3. , drive a wedge into White's center. Across 33,821 Lichess games rated 900–1700 (September 2026) you score 48%, and more than half your opponents never take on e5, so you need answers to the declines as well.
Lichess games from September 2026 (30,577,162 rated 900 to 1700) and 31,791 over-the-board games rated 2300+ from the last 12 months. Data updated: October 14, 2026.
13 named lines in this family; 1 with their own page.
The opening's share in each Lichess rating band.
After 1. 2. , Lichess players rated 2200 and up take with 3. in 77 of every 100 games. At your level only 46 in 100 do. The rest mostly choose 3. (17), 3. (15) or 3. (14), so most of your opponents decline the gambit. When they do take, the answer is : 94 in 100 strong players push it, and 70 in 100 at your level. The other replies cost you. After you score 39 in 100, and after , 41.
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46.2% | 52.2% | 77.0% | 100.0% | |
| 17.1% | 51.1% | 8.0% | no data | |
| 14.8% | 52.4% | 5.4% | no data | |
| 13.9% | 53.8% | 4.9% | no data | |
| 5.1% | 50.8% | 4.1% | no data | |
| 1.1% | 49.7% | no data | no data | |
| no data | no data | 0.5% | no data |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70.3% | 49.1% | 94.1% | 100.0% | |
| 9.8% | 60.6% | 0.4% | no data | |
| 6.7% | 58.7% | no data | no data | |
| 4.1% | 55.0% | no data | no data | |
| 3.0% | 56.8% | no data | no data | |
| 1.8% | 53.6% | no data | no data | |
| no data | no data | 5.5% | no data |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 72.3% | 49.9% | 79.6% | 100.0% | |
| 14.7% | 41.8% | 1.9% | no data | |
| 5.0% | 52.8% | 12.6% | no data | |
| 1.8% | 49.3% | 3.1% | no data | |
| 1.8% | 49.7% | 1.5% | no data | |
| 1.1% | 61.3% | no data | no data | |
| no data | no data | 0.8% | no data |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70.9% | 48.6% | 93.0% | 100.0% | |
| 13.7% | 49.6% | 6.7% | no data | |
| 9.9% | 56.0% | 0.3% | no data | |
| 3.9% | 55.3% | no data | no data | |
| 1.1% | 49.4% | no data | no data | |
| 0.3% | 62.5% | no data | no data |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33.3% | 43.9% | 3.8% | no data | |
| 14.0% | 46.0% | 2.3% | no data | |
| 12.5% | 54.5% | 38.8% | 100.0% | |
| 12.4% | 50.4% | 3.5% | no data | |
| 9.9% | 54.6% | 29.6% | no data | |
| 9.3% | 57.9% | 21.9% | no data |
The Albin trades a pawn for space. You give up e5, and after 3. you have a wedge in the middle of the board. The d4 pawn covers c3 and e3, so 4. runs into , and White's e-pawn can't step to e3 without being exchanged. Your queen guards d4 from d8. Everything that follows serves two goals: keep that pawn, and win back the one on e5.
Strong players continue 4. 5. 6. , and each move answers the one before it.
does both jobs at once. The knight guards d4 and hits e5, which only the f3 knight protects. That's why 93 in 100 strong players choose it, and 71 in 100 at your level.
5. is a prophylactic move. The pawn takes away b4 and rules out , the check that would bring your bishop out with tempo.
goes after the defender. The bishop hits the f3 knight, the piece holding e5 and also pressing your d4 pawn.
6. meets that pressure. The b1 knight has no c3 square, because your d4 pawn controls it, so it develops to d2 and backs up the knight on f3.
adds a second attacker on e5, which still has a single defender, and it clears d8. With the knight on c6, the bishop on g4 and the queen on e7, you can castle queenside right away, and the rook lands on d8 directly behind your d4 pawn. In most of the few over-the-board games at 2300 and up in this opening, Black castles long.
At your level, the most common reply to is 5., in 33 of every 100 games. It adds another attacker on d4, yet you score 56 in 100 from there. And if your opponent plays 4. instead of 4. (15 in 100), the line 5. is the Lasker Trap. Your e3 pawn hits the d2 bishop and the f2 pawn at the same time, and your b4 bishop is aimed at d2 too. You score 67 in 100 in that position.
| Move | Strong games | Chosen by |
|---|---|---|
| 2,639 | 77.1% | |
| 2,024 | 94.2% | |
| 1,902 | 79.7% | |
| 1,514 | 93.0% | |
| 1,414 | 39.1% | |
| 636 | 32.9% | |
| 199 | 53.8% | |
| 107 | 33.6% |
After 3. 4., the bishop on is undefended, and 5. checks your king while hitting it. After 6. 7. you've given the bishop for two pawns. 30 in 100 play it here and score 36 in 100. With you score 45.
30 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 6.1 pawns of advantage. It scores 36.3%; scores 45.2%.
, the Tartakower Defense, props up d4 with a pawn, but it develops nothing and blocks your f8 bishop's path to b4. After 5. 6. 7. , your opponent has castled and you haven't. It's a minor slip: you score 50 in 100, against 51 with .
14 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 0.8 pawns of advantage. It scores 50.4%; scores 51.4%.
pins the c3 knight, but your opponent breaks the pin with 4. 5. 6. and plants a pawn on e4. At your level this inaccuracy almost never gets punished: 19 in 100 play it and score 51 in 100, more than with (47).
19 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 0.7 pawns of advantage. It scores 50.5%; scores 47.3%.
puts the knight where a pawn can kick it. After 4. 5. 6. , the queens are gone, you're a pawn down, and your king on d8 can no longer castle. 8 in 100 play it and score 45 in 100, against 47 with .
8 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 1.7 pawns of advantage. It scores 45.4%; scores 47.3%.
With your pawn stops hitting d4, and d5 is left with only the queen to guard it. 4. grabs it, and after 5. 6. you're a pawn down. 18 in 100 choose it; take with instead. At your level the gap is small: 46 in 100 against 48.
18 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 0.7 pawns of advantage. It scores 46.1%; scores 47.8%.
lets 4. hit the knight with tempo. After 5. 6. you win the pawn back, but your knight has spent three more moves and your opponent has pawns on e5 and f4. 6 in 100 play it and score 41 in 100. With you score 48.
6 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 1.8 pawns of advantage. It scores 41.2%; scores 47.8%.
| White | Black | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 9,702 | ||
| Not castled | Not castled | 6,903 |
| Not castled | 4,561 | |
| Not castled | 3,347 | |
| 3,139 | ||
| Not castled | 3,121 |
| White | Black | Games |
|---|---|---|
| Not castled | 6 | |
| 3 | ||
| Not castled | Not castled | 1 |
| Not castled | 1 | |
| Not castled | 1 |
1. 2. 3. 4. · 5,944 amateur games · 7 over the board
4. guards e5; hits it and holds d4. You score 51 in 100 there.
1. 2. 3. 4. · D08
1,132 amateur games · White's score: 49.8%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. · D08
846 amateur games · White's score: 33.2%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. · D09
589 amateur games · White's score: 54.7%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. · D08
514 amateur games · White's score: 57.2%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. · D09
235 amateur games · White's score: 59.4%
1. 2. 3. 4. · D08
212 amateur games · White's score: 50.7%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. · D09
42 amateur games · White's score: 58.3%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. · D08
42 amateur games · White's score: 64.3%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. · D09
38 amateur games · White's score: 55.3%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. · D08
3 amateur games · White's score: 50.0%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. · D08
2 amateur games · White's score: 50.0%
At your level it happens often: 54 in 100 opponents skip 3.. Against 3., take with ; walks into 4. and costs you a pawn and the right to castle. Against 3., take with . There drops your score to 41 in 100, because 4. chases the knight.
It's against the Queen's Gambit. After 1. 2. you offer the e-pawn, and if your opponent takes with 3., you push . That pawn takes c3 and e3 away from White's pieces and pawns, and your whole game is built around it. It turns up in just over 1 of every 1000 games between 900 and 1700 on Lichess.
Start with the Normal Line, 4. , where you score 51 in 100. If your opponent plays 4., then 5. is the Lasker Trap: your pawn on e3 hits the d2 bishop and the f2 pawn, and you score 67 in 100. , the Tartakower Defense, is a small inaccuracy.
Keep the d4 pawn and win back e5. The strong-player line is 4. 5. 6. : your knight and queen both hit e5, your bishop pressures the knight defending it, and d8 is clear so you can castle queenside with your rook behind d4.