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Adolf Albin
Adolf Albin, 1895.jpg
Country Romania
Born (1848-09-14)14 September 1848
Bucharest, Romania
Died 22 March 1920(1920-03-22) (aged 71)
Vienna

Adolf Albin (born September 14, 1848 – died March 22, 1920) was a talented Romanian chess player. He is most famous for creating a special chess move called the Albin Countergambit. He also wrote the very first chess book in the Romanian language.

Early Life and Moves

Adolf Albin was born in Bucharest, Romania. His family was quite well-off. After finishing his studies in Vienna, Austria, he returned to Romania. There, he worked at a printing house in Bucharest.

Later, he became a translator for a very important businessman. This job led him back to Vienna with his family. Adolf Albin lived to be 72 years old. He passed away in Vienna.

His Chess Journey

Albin started playing chess a bit later in life than many other famous players. He learned the game when he was in his 20s. He didn't start playing in big international tournaments until he was in his 40s.

One of his best results was in a tournament in New York in 1893. He came in second place, right behind the amazing Emanuel Lasker. Lasker won every single game in that tournament! Albin played better than many other strong players there, including Harry Nelson Pillsbury.

Albin also played in other big tournaments, like Hastings 1895 and Nuremberg 1896. Even though his overall tournament results varied, he managed to win individual games against some of the best players. This included world champion Wilhelm Steinitz!

In 1872, Albin wrote the first-ever chess book in Romanian. It was called Amiculŭ Joculu de Scachu Teoreticu şi Practicu.

A Lasting Chess Legacy

Adolf Albin is remembered in the world of chess because several chess opening moves are named after him. When a chess move or idea is named after someone, it's called an eponym.

His most famous contribution is the Albin Countergambit. This is a special way to start a game when playing the Queen's Gambit. Another move named after him is the Albin Attack, which is used in the French Defence. These openings are still studied and played by chess players today!

See Also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Adolf Albin para niños

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