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Very Hot Topic (More than 25 Replies) Perunovic is writing a book on the Benko (Read 26558 times)
Lauri Torni
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Re: Perunovic is writing a book on the Benko
Reply #26 - 06/16/18 at 14:48:25
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5.b6 -line is indeed very annoying. Here Perunovic gives 5.-e6. Black may equalize, but the margin of error is bigger for him than for white. The "equal" positions black can get are often prospectless. IMHO Perunovic has nothing new to add here.

Against 4.Nf3 he gives 4.-g6. This might be fine unless there would not be 5.cb a6 6.b6! which is TOTALLY OMITTED by the book. This transposes to 5.b6 -line avoiding 5.-e6.

Against 4.Qc2 he gives 4.-b4 which is rather ridiculous. If you believe in this line you can of course play after 4.Nf3 the same move.

There are surely many good ideas included, but there is a to learn before you can play benko with confidence.

  

1.Nf3! -  beat your opponent by killing his zest for life.
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Stigma
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Re: Perunovic is writing a book on the Benko
Reply #25 - 06/05/18 at 14:39:14
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So there are many problem lines, but does Perunovic do a good job of trying to answer them? Is it just mission impossible!? Maybe I should get the book and use it with White...

Lauri Torni wrote on 06/05/18 at 12:00:20:
P.S. Benkö is like narcotics. It is very difficult to give totally up. I found this post of mine from 2004  Grin


I used to play it, but I have now given up.
There are too many annoying lines:
[...]

That's funny!

The Benko has been just an experiment for me. Several years ago I taught the basics to a lower-rated student (who has done very well with it, even drawing me in a rated tournament game!). Then I thought: Why not try it myself?

But in around 10 games (rapid and classical), more than half have featured b6 lines from White, and I have managed only ½ point from all those b6 games. The Benko was never meant to be a main defence for me, but I hoped it could at least be a surprise weapon or blitz weapon. It won't even be that if I don't improve my results against b6.
  

Improvement begins at the edge of your comfort zone. -Jonathan Rowson
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Lauri Torni
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Re: Perunovic is writing a book on the Benko
Reply #24 - 06/05/18 at 12:00:20
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P.S. Benkö is like narcotics. It is very difficult to give totally up. I found this post of mine from 2004  Grin


I used to play it, but I have now given up.
There are too many annoying lines:

The fianchetto with Rb1 is very frustrating, The Ne8
line is not new at all and changes nothing.

others:

4.cb a6 5.e3  , here g6 is cramped and Bb7 lines
give _WHITE_ good attacking changes

4.Nf3 (surprisingly strong, as it gives many possibilities
to transpose to good lines) black finds it diffucult
to avoid 4.-g6 5.cb a6 6.b6! (6.e3)

4.cb a6 5.b6 is very worrisome

But if your opponents are not very strong, benko is
quite ok. In practise  some skilll is required form white to
utilize the above-mentioned lines

  

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Lauri Torni
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Re: Perunovic is writing a book on the Benko
Reply #23 - 06/01/18 at 09:02:08
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Stigma wrote on 05/15/18 at 20:21:35:
Has anybody had enough time with this book to give an informed opinion of it?

I'm thinking of the quality of analysis, which is the main thing after all (especially when the book is apparently lacking in other respects ...). I'm still on the fence whether to buy this.


Well. I have been a die-hard Benkö player more than 30 years. The book finally convinced me to switch to the Nimzo.

Benkö is not anymore what it used to be. There are many difficult lines. Black needs to know a lot of theory to survive, and he still gets often an unfomfortable game. Such lines are e.g. 5.b6, 3.Qc2, 3.Nf3, and 5.e3 (once again). Moreover, the classical with Nb5 ideas and the fianchetto are so dangeraous that black has been playing recently without an early -Bxa6. These lines, however, are speculative and lack the nice and compact initiative black used to get.

Moreover, Benkö can be sidestepped with 2.Nf3.

With the same effort you can learn a good opening such as Nimzo.
  

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Stigma
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Re: Perunovic is writing a book on the Benko
Reply #22 - 05/15/18 at 20:21:35
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Has anybody had enough time with this book to give an informed opinion of it?

I'm thinking of the quality of analysis, which is the main thing after all (especially when the book is apparently lacking in other respects ...). I'm still on the fence whether to buy this.
  

Improvement begins at the edge of your comfort zone. -Jonathan Rowson
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Lauri Torni
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Re: Perunovic is writing a book on the Benko
Reply #21 - 03/06/18 at 09:55:48
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Stigma wrote on 02/14/18 at 23:58:53:
That move order thing with 4.Nf3 and a later b6 (or e3) is basic Benko knowledge. It's hard to believe Perunovic isn't aware of it. So I wonder what went wrong here.

That also probably means he didn't look at Kiril Georgiev's Squeezing the Gambits from Chess Stars? That's still a main source for White players who want to play the b6 declined line from either a 4.Nf3 or a 4.cxb5 a6 5.b6 move order (Georgiev catered for both orders in the book).

4.Qc2 b4 and 5.f3 g6 are both unusual suggestions that other sources consider dubious. Though the Pinski (2005) Benko book devoted a game to 5.f3 g6, and Carlsen has tried it in blitz: http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1479705)


Actually 4.Nf3 is one of the many good lines against the Benko. Possible are 4.-g6, 4.-Bb7, 4.-e6,  and even 4.-b4, but there is no equalizing line for black.
  

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Stigma
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Re: Perunovic is writing a book on the Benko
Reply #20 - 02/14/18 at 23:58:53
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That move order thing with 4.Nf3 and a later b6 (or e3) is basic Benko knowledge. It's hard to believe Perunovic isn't aware of it. So I wonder what went wrong here.

That also probably means he didn't look at Kiril Georgiev's Squeezing the Gambits from Chess Stars? That's still a main source for White players who want to play the b6 declined line from either a 4.Nf3 or a 4.cxb5 a6 5.b6 move order (Georgiev catered for both orders in the book).

4.Qc2 b4 and 5.f3 g6 are both unusual suggestions that other sources consider dubious. Though the Pinski (2005) Benko book devoted a game to 5.f3 g6, and Carlsen has tried it in blitz: http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1479705)
« Last Edit: 02/15/18 at 03:34:14 by Stigma »  

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TD
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Re: Perunovic is writing a book on the Benko
Reply #19 - 02/14/18 at 14:03:16
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Lauri Torni wrote on 02/14/18 at 11:22:26:
This book has a HUGE hole in the repertoire.

after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cb a6 5.b6 the recommendation is  5.-e6. However, after 4.Nf3 the recommendation is 4.-g6, and after 5.cb a6 the best move 6.b6 is not analyzed at all!

I noticed that too. It's the same kind of move-order trick as evading 5.e3 axb5 (6.Bxb5 Qa5+) with 4.Nf3 g6 5.cxb5 a6 6.e3, if 5...axb5 happens to be your answer to 5.e3 and 4...g6 to 4.Nf3.
  
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Lauri Torni
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Re: Perunovic is writing a book on the Benko
Reply #18 - 02/14/18 at 11:22:26
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This book has a HUGE hole in the repertoire.

after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cb a6 5.b6 the recommendation is  5.-e6. However, after 4.Nf3 the recommendation is 4.-g6, and after 5.cb a6 the best move 6.b6 is not analyzed at all!

I was very disappointed.

There are practically no verbal explanations in the book.

About the overall quality of the analyzed lines I cannot say much, But I'm rather skeptical e.g. of the recommendation of 4.Qc2 b4 (In this case  shouldn't 4.Nf3 b4  be ok too?)

Other lines:

5.f3 g6
5.e3 g6

Of course the most important part of the book is on 4.cb a6 5.ba g6 6.Nc3 Bg7


  

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TonyRo
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Re: Perunovic is writing a book on the Benko
Reply #17 - 02/03/18 at 17:12:59
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Is finally in stock at Chess4Less, my copy is on it's way!  Cheesy Shocked
  
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Re: Perunovic is writing a book on the Benko
Reply #16 - 02/01/18 at 11:46:09
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But the preface alone contains so many typos that it is a bit painful to read. Again this editing issue.

I mean, it's not that of a big deal if the content is great, but still ...
  
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Re: Perunovic is writing a book on the Benko
Reply #15 - 01/09/18 at 17:01:19
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Not only does it exist, but I liked reading the excerpt. Moves with some simple verbal explanations versus endless long strings of analysis. Enthusiastic Slavic-English. Looking forward to the FC version.
  
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Re: Perunovic is writing a book on the Benko
Reply #14 - 01/09/18 at 16:05:21
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Wow it exists!  Grin
  
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Re: Perunovic is writing a book on the Benko
Reply #13 - 01/09/18 at 12:32:11
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Lauri Torni
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Re: Perunovic is writing a book on the Benko
Reply #12 - 11/30/17 at 09:04:43
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On this book:

"The book is nearly finished, we worked hard since we really wanted to provide our audience a great book.

It will be available in print between 15.01. and 30.01.2018, Forward Chess on 15.03.2018!"
  

1.Nf3! -  beat your opponent by killing his zest for life.
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