Falkbeer Countergambit
Encyclopedia
The Falkbeer Countergambit is a chess opening
that begins:
In this aggressive countergambit, Black
disdains the pawn
offered as a sacrifice
, instead opening the centre to exploit White
's kingside weakness. After the standard capture, 3. exd5, Black may reply with 3... exf4, transposing
into the King's Gambit Accepted, 3....e4, or the more modern 3....c6.
The opening bears the name of Austrian master Ernst Falkbeer
, who played it in an 1851 game against Adolf Anderssen
. The Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings
codes for the Falkbeer Countergambit are C31 and C32.
. A typical line may run: 4.d3 Nf6 5.dxe4 Nxe4 6.Nf3 Bc5, where Black aims for the weakness on f2. At Maehrisch-Ostrau 1923, a game between Rudolf Spielmann
and Siegbert Tarrasch
continued: 7.Qe2 Bf5 (this was condemned by the Handbuch des Schachspiels because of White's next, though Black had already got into difficulties in the game Reti
- Breyer
, Budapest
1917, where 7....f5 8.Nfd2 Bf2+ 9.Kd1 Qxd5 10.Nc3 was played) 8.g4?! (in retrospect, prudent was 8. Nc3) 8... 0-0! 9. gxf5 Re8 and Black has a tremendous position, as he is bound to regain material and White's positional deficiencies will remain.
This line fell out of favour after World War II
, as Black encountered difficulties, with players eventually turning to the next idea.
. It is usually attributed to Aron Nimzowitsch
, who successfully played it in Spielmann
-Nimzowitsch, Munich 1906. However, Frank Marshall actually introduced the move to master play at Ostend 1905, defeating Richard Teichmann
in 34 moves. Annotating that game in his 1914 book Marshall's Chess "Swindles", Marshall described his 3...c6 as, "An innovation."
Although Black won both of those games, 3...c6 languished in obscurity for many years thereafter. White can respond with 4.Qe2, despite the drastic defeat inflicted on the young Alexander Alekhine
by Paul Johner
at Carlsbad 1911, although 4.Nc3 exf4 is much more common. The resulting positions are analogous to the Modern Defence of the King's Gambit Accepted, in which White strives to utilise his 4-2 queenside pawn majority, with Black relying on his piece activity and cramping pawn at f4 to play against White's king. Theory has not reached a definitive verdict, but the resulting positions are believed to offer Black more chances than 3....e4.
Chess opening
A chess opening is the group of initial moves of a chess game. Recognized sequences of opening moves are referred to as openings as initiated by White or defenses, as created in reply by Black. There are many dozens of different openings, and hundreds of named variants. The Oxford Companion to...
that begins:
- 1. e4 e5
- 2. f4 d5
In this aggressive countergambit, Black
White and Black in chess
In chess, the player who moves first is referred to as "White" and the player who moves second is referred to as "Black". Similarly, the pieces that each conducts are called, respectively, "the white pieces" and "the black pieces". The pieces are often not literally white and black, but some...
disdains the pawn
Pawn (chess)
The pawn is the most numerous and weakest piece in the game of chess, historically representing infantry, or more particularly armed peasants or pikemen. Each player begins the game with eight pawns, one on each square of the rank immediately in front of the other pieces...
offered as a sacrifice
Sacrifice (chess)
In chess, a sacrifice is a move giving up a piece in the hopes of gaining tactical or positional compensation in other forms. A sacrifice could also be a deliberate exchange of a chess piece of higher value for an opponent's piece of lower value....
, instead opening the centre to exploit White
White and Black in chess
In chess, the player who moves first is referred to as "White" and the player who moves second is referred to as "Black". Similarly, the pieces that each conducts are called, respectively, "the white pieces" and "the black pieces". The pieces are often not literally white and black, but some...
's kingside weakness. After the standard capture, 3. exd5, Black may reply with 3... exf4, transposing
Transposition (chess)
A transposition in chess is a sequence of moves that results in a position which may also be reached by another, more common sequence of moves. Transpositions are particularly common in opening, where a given position may be reached by different sequences of moves...
into the King's Gambit Accepted, 3....e4, or the more modern 3....c6.
The opening bears the name of Austrian master Ernst Falkbeer
Ernst Falkbeer
Ernst Karl Falkbeer was an Austrian chess master and journalist.-Life and chess career:Born in Brno, Bohemia, Falkbeer moved to Vienna to study law, but ended up becoming a journalist...
, who played it in an 1851 game against Adolf Anderssen
Adolf Anderssen
Karl Ernst Adolf Anderssen was a German chess master. He is considered to have been the world's leading chess player in the 1850s and 1860s...
. The Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings
Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings
The Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings is a classification system for the opening moves in a game of chess. It is presented as a five volume book collection describing chess openings...
codes for the Falkbeer Countergambit are C31 and C32.
Old Main Line: 3....e4
In this variation, Black's compensation for the sacrificed pawn primarily consists of his lead in development, coupled with the exposure of White's kingKing (chess)
In chess, the king is the most important piece. The object of the game is to trap the opponent's king so that its escape is not possible . If a player's king is threatened with capture, it is said to be in check, and the player must remove the threat of capture on the next move. If this cannot be...
. A typical line may run: 4.d3 Nf6 5.dxe4 Nxe4 6.Nf3 Bc5, where Black aims for the weakness on f2. At Maehrisch-Ostrau 1923, a game between Rudolf Spielmann
Rudolf Spielmann
Rudolf Spielmann was an Austrian-Jewish chess player of the romantic school, and chess writer.-Career:He was a lawyer but never worked as one....
and Siegbert Tarrasch
Siegbert Tarrasch
Siegbert Tarrasch was one of the strongest chess players and most influential chess teachers of the late 19th century and early 20th century....
continued: 7.Qe2 Bf5 (this was condemned by the Handbuch des Schachspiels because of White's next, though Black had already got into difficulties in the game Reti
Richard Réti
Réti composed one of the most famous chess studies, shown in this diagram. It was published in Ostrauer Morgenzeitung 4 December 1921. It seems impossible for the white king to catch the advanced black pawn, while the white pawn can be easily stopped by the black king...
- Breyer
Gyula Breyer
Gyula Breyer was a Hungarian chess player. He was a leading member of the hypermodern school of chess theory, which favored controlling the center with pressure from the flanks....
, Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
1917, where 7....f5 8.Nfd2 Bf2+ 9.Kd1 Qxd5 10.Nc3 was played) 8.g4?! (in retrospect, prudent was 8. Nc3) 8... 0-0! 9. gxf5 Re8 and Black has a tremendous position, as he is bound to regain material and White's positional deficiencies will remain.
This line fell out of favour after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, as Black encountered difficulties, with players eventually turning to the next idea.
Nimzowitsch Counter Gambit: 3....c6
This has become the most commonly played move after 3.exd5, with its most notable advocate being John NunnJohn Nunn
John Denis Martin Nunn is one of England's strongest chess players and once belonged to the world's top ten. He is also a three times world champion in chess problem solving, a chess writer and publisher, and a mathematician....
. It is usually attributed to Aron Nimzowitsch
Aron Nimzowitsch
Aron Nimzowitsch was a Russian-born Danish unofficial chess grandmaster and a very influential chess writer...
, who successfully played it in Spielmann
Rudolf Spielmann
Rudolf Spielmann was an Austrian-Jewish chess player of the romantic school, and chess writer.-Career:He was a lawyer but never worked as one....
-Nimzowitsch, Munich 1906. However, Frank Marshall actually introduced the move to master play at Ostend 1905, defeating Richard Teichmann
Richard Teichmann
Richard Teichmann was a German chess master.He was known as "Richard the Fifth" because he often finished in fifth place in tournaments. But in Karlsbad 1911, he scored a convincing win, crushing Akiba Rubinstein and Carl Schlechter with the same line of the Ruy Lopez...
in 34 moves. Annotating that game in his 1914 book Marshall's Chess "Swindles", Marshall described his 3...c6 as, "An innovation."
Although Black won both of those games, 3...c6 languished in obscurity for many years thereafter. White can respond with 4.Qe2, despite the drastic defeat inflicted on the young Alexander Alekhine
Alexander Alekhine
Alexander Alexandrovich Alekhine was the fourth World Chess Champion. He is often considered one of the greatest chess players ever.By the age of twenty-two, he was already among the strongest chess players in the world. During the 1920s, he won most of the tournaments in which he played...
by Paul Johner
Paul Johner
Paul Johner was a Swiss chess master.A noted musician , elder brother of Hans Johner, he won the Swiss Championship in 1907 , 1908 , 1925, 1928 , 1930 and 1932 .He played in many international tournaments...
at Carlsbad 1911, although 4.Nc3 exf4 is much more common. The resulting positions are analogous to the Modern Defence of the King's Gambit Accepted, in which White strives to utilise his 4-2 queenside pawn majority, with Black relying on his piece activity and cramping pawn at f4 to play against White's king. Theory has not reached a definitive verdict, but the resulting positions are believed to offer Black more chances than 3....e4.
External links
- Falkbeer Countergambit video and analysis
- Takchess Chess Improvement - The Spirit of the Falkbeer Countergambit KGD
- Opening Report: 1.e4 e5 2.f4 d5 (4297 games)
- Edward Winter, Falkbeer Counter-Gambit (published 2010/10/17). List of pre-World War II magazine references to the Falkbeer.