DDG Reversed

Reversal of Fortune

During the first DDG e-mail tournament, someone suggested that 1. d4 e5 (Englund Gambit) 2. dxe5 f6 (Soller Gambit) could be used to achieve a reversed DDG. At first, the Englund Gambit does not look very promising: compared to the DDG, Black is playing a tempo down. However, as Black is only "fighting for equality" in any opening, all kinds of gambits that could grab the initiative are worth considering.

One of the main assets when playing the DDG as White is Black's bad bishop, blocked by e6. Hence, it is difficult to reach a similar reversed position where White had played e3. Anyway, in some openings White might just do it, like in this (almost) imaginary game:

1. d4 d5 2. e3 (Queen's Pawn: Stonewall Attack) e5 3. dxe5 c5 4. Nf3 f6 5. Bb5+ Nc6 6. Bxc6+ bxc6 7. O-O Qc7 8. exf6 Nxf6 9. Nc3 Bd6 10. b3 O-O 11. Bb2 Ne4 12. Re1 Bg4 13. h3 Bxf3 14. gxf3 Ng5 15. f4 Bxf4! 16. exf4 Qxf4 17. Kg2 Qxf2+ 18. Kh1 Nxh3 (18... Rf3!) 19. Rf1 Qg3 20. Rxf8+ Rxf8 21. Ne4 Nf2+ 22. Nxf2 Rxf2 23. Qxd5+ cxd5 24. Rg1 Qh3# 0-1.

After 12... Bg4, the game follows Montenero - Kasparov Champion, 1996, but reversed -- and Black is even one tempo up!

Albin Counter-Gambit

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e5 is the Albin Counter-Gambit. The Alapin Variation 3. dxe5 d4 4. Nf3 (4. e3 Bb4+ 5. Bd2 dxe3 is the Lasker Trap) 4... Nc6 5. Nbd2 (5. g3!?) is played most often, but more interesting is 4... c5 5. e3 Nc6 6. exd4 cxd4

W

7. Be2 f6 8. exf6 Nxf6 9. O-O Bd6 10. Kh1 Bc7 11. Re1 O-O 12. h3 Bf5 13. Nbd2 Qd7 14. Nh2 Bxh3 15. gxh3 Qxh3 16. Nf1 Ne4 17. Be3 Rxf2 0-1, Anonymous - Heikkinen, Zone 1996.

The position of the diagram is a pure DDG Reversed: 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. e4 dxe4 4. Nc3 c5 5. d5 exd5 6. cxd5 Nf6, but Black is one tempo down. Nevertheless, even Tartakower played this variation in a number of games! Incidentally, the AC-G was introduced in the same year 1881 as the BDG. It became famous after the game Lasker - Albin, New York 1893.

Pitt has a collection of over 470 Albin Counter-Gambit games.