Falkbeer Countergambit
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| Moves | 1.e4 e5 2.f4 d5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| ECO | C31–C32 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Named after | Ernst Falkbeer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Parent | King's Gambit | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Falkbeer Countergambit is a chess opening that begins with the moves:
It is a common response to the King's Gambit. In this countergambit, Black rejects the pawn offered as a sacrifice, instead opening the centre to enable quick development, aiming to exploit White's weakness on the kingside. 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.
A well-known blunder in this opening is White's reply 3.fxe5??, which after 3...Qh4+, loses a rook for nothing (4. g3 Qxe5+) or a queen for a bishop (4. Ke2 Qxe5+ 5. Kf2 Bc5+ 6. d5 Bxd5+ and White must play 7.Qxd5 to avoid a forced checkmate).
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.