.

I think due to the Fianchetto variation.  I think that is the variation Cox recommends as best in his book on 1.d4.
Zatara

Korchnoi once stated to Ruben Felgar after crushing his Benko- "You don't give pawns to Grandmasters."

Najdorf Mem. 2005.

But Korchnoï, a great player, is known for his acid words for exemple : "It extremely rarely occurs to him to create something new on the chessboard." (About Anatoly Karpov.)

Easy question. It's because it's not considerely a completely sound defence by GMs, and Black lacks a complete antidote to the Rb1 lines. Even the old e4 lines are still considered slightly better for White.

When, among 2600 GMs, only Tregubov, Felgaer and a few other guys play the Benko at present, it doesn't bode well for the popularity of the opening.

Nevertheless I think it's a pretty good weapon for us mortals.

At the club level it is extremely popular and probably scores well. I tend to reject it unless I am in the mood for it.

Vallejo from Spain and the young Italian lad whose name escapes me but who has a very high rating have been using the Benko quite frequently recently. I still think its a sound opening well worth trying, but I think I agree with the earlier poster who said it was best to have another weapon against 1.d4 also.

Anyone wanting to play the Benko in the Open Section of a Swiss event, or similar, should take a close look at Avrukh's Volume 2 and figure something out.  You could say that about any system I suppose, but this being a pawn sac, I would be especially concerned to have an antidote to Avrukh.

Funny enough, Avrukh has some interesting ideas for Black also - I didn't find that chapter particularly discouraging for Benko fans.

I just ran into a buzz-saw of an idea against Avrukh's main line:

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cb5 a6 5.ba6 Ba6 6.Nc3 g6 7.g4 d6 8.Bg2 Bg7 9.Nf3 Nbd7 10. Rb1! (Avrukh) 0-0 11.0-0 Nb6 12.b3 ("obligatory", according to Avrukh, p. 211) Bb7 13. e4 and instead of 13...e6?!, which Avrukh considered ?! but didn't deign to give an improvement, my opponent unleashed

[fen]r2q1rk1/1b2ppbp/1n1p1np1/2pP4/4P3/1PN2NP1/P4PBP/1RBQ1RK1 b - e3 0 13[/fen]

13...Nxe4!!? 14.Ne4 Ra2! And White is in deep trouble.  I couldn't find any games that followed this line. White seems to be in serious trouble!  Has anyone seen this line before, and what is the recommended riposte?

*bump*

Smyslov_Fan wrote on 07/04/10 at 04:06:30:

*bump*

Here is a diagram after 14. ... Rxa2 in your line:



I guess we could start by examining why is White in big trouble here. So what happens after 15. Re1 for example?

How did white's g-pawn get from g4 (move 7) back to g3?

F22 wrote on 07/04/10 at 05:03:50:

Smyslov_Fan wrote on 07/04/10 at 04:06:30: *bump* Here is a diagram after 14. ... Rxa2 in your line: [fen]3q1rk1/1b2ppbp/1n1p2p1/2pP4/4N3/1P3NP1/r4PBP/1RBQ1RK1 w - - 0 1[/fen] I guess we could start by examining why is White in big trouble here. So what happens after 15. Re1 for example?

The idea mentioned by Smyslov_Fan 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cb5 a6 5.ba6 Ba6 6.Nc3 g6 7.g3 d6 8.Bg2 Bg7 9.Nf3 Nbd7 10. Rb1! 0-0 11.0-0 Nb6 12.b3 (Avrukh, p. 211) Bb7 13. e4 Nxe4!!? 14.Ne4 Ra2! is very interesting but hard to assess. Since the d5 pawn is doomed, Black is certain to get two good pawns for the piece, destroy White's centre and remain with a great structure. The main variables might now be:

1) Can White coordinate his pieces and find targets, so that his extra piece can be used in attack.
2) Can Black's extra pawns be mobilized, in such a way that White's pieces are cramped, rather than given opportunities to play.

Presumably play would continue something like 15 Re1 Nxd5 16 Re2 to neutralize the rook on the 7th.

I feel the onus is on Black to prove sufficient (rather than merely practical) compensation, but it's a great idea and deserves practical tests. Thanks for mentioning it Smyslov_fan!

Hello Benko Fans.
This seems an interesting idea... recently I was playing at Malakoff and had a game against an FM in the benko with a similar idea. I knew I did not know much theory in this line so thought I would try this idea I had prepared in the morning of the round. My game went:

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5 4. cxb5 a6 5. bxa6 g6 6. Nc3 Bxa6 7. g3 d6 8. Bg2 Bg7 9. Nf3 Nbd7 10. Rb1 Nb6 11. b3 Bc8!? 12. Nh4 h6 13. Qc2 Qd7 14. Bb2 O-O 15. O-O g5 16. Nf3 Qf5 17. e4 Nxe4!?
(17... Qg6 is the book move.)
18. Nxe4 Rxa2 19. Nfd2 Nxd5 20. Qc1! Rxb2!?
All in!
21. Rxb2 Nb4 22. Rb1 Ba6 23. Nc4
and now I played 23...d5? and quickly lost after 24. Nxc5!
but 23...Bd4! continued the initiative though I'm not sure Black has full compensation.

Maybe an earlier Nxe4 Smyslov-fan mentioned (without the Bc8!?) idea is an improvement. Though maybe Black has to watch out for b4!? ideas?

whatteaux wrote on 07/04/10 at 06:48:29:

How did white's g-pawn get from g4 (move 7) back to g3?

Obviously I meant 7.g3. 7.g4 was a typo.

15.Re1 Nd5 16.Re2 (Is 16.Bd2 any better?) Ra7

It seems to me that Black already has equality in this line.

I thought of 15.Nfd2 Nd5 16.Nc4 Qa8!? 17.Bb2, trading down.  White would be hard pressed to find a winning plan in such a position. Black also has 16...Nb4 in that line.

It seems to me that White's main advantage in these positions is not the extra piece, but the potentially passed b-pawn.  I've been trying to make 15.b4 work. If Black plays 15.b4 c4, the game seems double-edged, but White may have better winning chances than after 15.Re1 or 15.Nfd2.

Please see the diagram on the previous page.

Wow - this is a truly astounding idea, thanks to Smyslov_Fan for turning this up. On first seeing it I had no doubt that the whole thing was ludicrous and unsound, but on further inspection it looks plausible. I would only add that in the original line 15.Re1 Nxd5 16.Re2 Black should retreat the rook to a7 as Smyslov_Fan says (16...Qa8?! 17.Rxa2 Rxa2 18.Bd2 and I couldn't see a decent continuation for Black), but that in the other line 15.b4 c4 16.Re1 Nxd5 17.Re2 Black has 17...Qa8!? when the counterplay with his c-pawn seems to give fully adequate play. To be continued I suspect...perhaps the idea may ultimately prove incorrect but it is fascinating.

Smyslov_Fan wrote on 07/03/10 at 22:17:42:

I just ran into a buzz-saw of an idea against Avrukh's main line: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cb5 a6 5.ba6 Ba6 6.Nc3 g6 7.g4 d6 8.Bg2 Bg7 9.Nf3 Nbd7 10. Rb1! (Avrukh) 0-0 11.0-0 Nb6 12.b3 ("obligatory", according to Avrukh, p. 211) Bb7 13. e4 and instead of 13...e6?!, which Avrukh considered ?! but didn't deign to give an improvement, my opponent unleashed 13...Nxe4!!? 14.Ne4 Ra2! And White is in deep trouble.  I couldn't find any games that followed this line. White seems to be in serious trouble!  Has anyone seen this line before, and what is the recommended riposte?

As a side note I am puzzled Avrukh recommends 13.e4 there - surely 13.Nh4 is the move, plenty of highly rated GMs have gone down that path. Whats more Black could have gone 10...Nb6 (instead of 10...0-0) then 11.b3 Bb7 and I dont see how White can avoid playing Nh4 there anyhow (12.e4?! Ba6 looks a tad awkward for White)

Yeah, I seem to recall that 13.Nh4 gets an exclam in Watson's very interesting Volume 4.   Watson concludes, by the way, that Black has difficulty justifying his lost pawn after 10.Rb1.


Smyslov_Fan wrote on 07/04/10 at 19:35:20:

15.Re1 Nd5 16.Re2 (Is 16.Bd2 any better?) Ra7 It seems to me that Black already has equality in this line.

I think it's hard to claim "equality" when you only have two pawns for your piece and the other side doesn't seem to be hurting too much, but I do think that Black has a lot of comp here.  One funny possibility is 17.Qe1 Nb4 18.Qd1 Nd5.

So what did Avrukh have to say about the accelerated attack on the d-pawn mentioned by Keano (which has been given in various standard sources going back to the 1990s, by the way)?

kylemeister wrote on 07/08/10 at 17:00:23:

So what did Avrukh have to say about the accelerated attack on the d-pawn mentioned by Keano (which has been given in various standard sources going back to the 1990s, by the way)?

After 10..Nb6 11.b3 Bb7, Avrukh gives 12.Nh4 0-0 13.0-0 Ne8 14.Qd2 following V.Milov-Tregubov, Germany 2001 until move 20 and then improving with 20.b4!

Hmm, so why not play 13.Nh4 in the other line of Smyslov_Fan then with a direct transposition  :-?

Good idea, Keano. I wouldn't have thought it even worthwhile until this game. (Quite often, White doesn't need Nh4 in the e4 lines.)

I'll publish some of my notes to the game in question when we've moved on a bit.

nimzo5 wrote on 04/14/10 at 17:15:45:

Korchnoi once stated to Ruben Felgar after crushing his Benko- "You don't give pawns to Grandmasters." Najdorf Mem. 2005.

I wonder what he said to Zueger after this recent debacle, beginning to show his age now unfortunately:

[Event "ch-SUI"]
[Site "Lenzerheide SUI"]
[Date "2010.07.15"]
[Round "8"]
[White "Korchnoi, V."]
[Black "Zueger, B."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A57"]
[WhiteElo "2564"]
[BlackElo "2404"]
[PlyCount "46"]
[EventDate "2010.07.08"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5 4. cxb5 a6 5. e3 axb5 6. Bxb5 Qa5+ 7. Nc3 Bb7 8.
Bd2 Qb6 9. Nf3 Nxd5 10. a4 e6 11. O-O Be7 12. Re1 Nb4 13. e4 O-O 14. Bf4 d6 15.
Nd2 e5 16. Be3 N8c6 17. Na2 Nxa2 18. Rxa2 Nb4 19. Ra1 d5 20. exd5 Bxd5 21. Rc1
Rfd8 22. Qg4 Rac8 23. Qxb4 Qg6 0-1

The easiest way to meet the Benko is to decline the pawn sacrifice with b5-b6.

dre wrote on 08/03/10 at 09:27:14:

The easiest way to meet the Benko is to decline the pawn sacrifice with b5-b6.

True, but the easiest answer is usually not the best.

Apologies if this was examined earlier but 4.Nf3 g6 5.cb5 a6 6.b6 is an interesting way to reach the b6 lines while avoiding 5...e6, which appears to be Black's clearest equaliser. Then 4...e6 should be met by 5.Bg5, and 4...Bb7 should be answered with 5.Qc2.

TN - Kiril Georgiev likes that move order also.

TN wrote on 08/03/10 at 10:52:12:

dre wrote on 08/03/10 at 09:27:14: The easiest way to meet the Benko is to decline the pawn sacrifice with b5-b6. True, but the easiest answer is usually not the best. Apologies if this was examined earlier but 4.Nf3 g6 5.cb5 a6 6.b6 is an interesting way to reach the b6 lines while avoiding 5...e6, which appears to be Black's clearest equaliser. Then 4...e6 should be met by 5.Bg5, and 4...Bb7 should be answered with 5.Qc2.

b5-b6 is best from a practical point of view, but maybe not from a theoretical point of view.

have you seen this http://www.everymanchess.com/chess/books/Play_the_Benko_Gambit