Benko - ChessPub Forum

Benko - ChessPub Forum https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?board=benko Benko - ChessPub Forum en-us ChessPub Forum Sat, 11 Jul 2026 18:26:31 GMT http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 30 The Benko Bible Volume 1 https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1758913624 ChessPub Forum/Benko https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1758913624 Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:55:48 GMT <a href="https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1758913624/25#25">TonyRo wrote</a> on 12/12/25 at 04:20:31: <div id="053E3F28033E5100">Yeah I honestly would prefer the King Walk to the Perunovic. </div> Its a different kettle of fish as they say, might be interesting for anybody playing Benko in modern times to have both options available to keep opponents guessing Status of Benko Gambit https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1648315036 ChessPub Forum/Benko https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1648315036 Fri, 6 Jan 2023 17:18:50 GMT I played the Benko a few times about thirty years ago, and have been looking at it again, including a scan through some of the threads on here, to try and get a bit more up to date. It seems to me that the appearance of 12.a4 in the main "King Walk" line threw a bit of a spanner in the works. But the most recent book by Kovalchuk still heads that way, with 12...Qb6 being his choice to meet it. Plenty of recent examples on my games database seem to suggest it is seen as worth trying, even if results are quite a bit in favour of white. Meanwhile the 7...Qa5 idea from Aveskulov's revised book, to avoid the main line, does not seem to have taken off - I found only a few games where this had been played. Was it refuted? More popular in terms of games played is 11...Na6 (instead of Nd7), which I found mentioned in Tay's Move by Move book as away to avoid 12.a4. The results are still not too encouraging, but it has clearly found a few fans. Are there any regular Benko players on here who are still happy to see 12.a4? Or do they take another route? Benko Revisited by Kovalchuk https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1644498379 ChessPub Forum/Benko https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1644498379 Tue, 8 Mar 2022 10:30:44 GMT Alas, the variation 5...Bxa6 6.Nc3 g6 7.g3 d6 8.Bg2 Bg7 9.Nh3 is missing... Is there still hope in the King Walk variation ? https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1585774390 ChessPub Forum/Benko https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1585774390 Wed, 15 Dec 2021 22:51:51 GMT I am not sure how good 15.Ra3 Nc7 16.Nxc7 Qxc7 17.b3 Qa5 actually is, e.g. 18.Nd2 Qc3 19.Ra2 Qb4 20.Rd1 Bc3 and I guess White has to go back with 21.Ra3 and now what for Black? My computer thinks ...h5 is best but better for White, and I'm not certain how Black makes any headway here. Also of interest to me would be 14.Ra3!? Ne8 15.h4N. Best resource for the Benko https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1464154375 ChessPub Forum/Benko https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1464154375 Wed, 23 Jun 2021 16:38:24 GMT <a href="https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1464154375/20#20">Stigma wrote</a> on 06/23/21 at 10:33:22: <div id="50776A646E620301">I wasn't aware of the Sieglen (2020) book. Do you recommend it? Does it add much to Perunovic' coverage and address recent attempts and suggestions for White? </div> I don't play the Benko anymore, but bought the book out of interest. In the Vorwort Sieglen compares his book to Perunovic's so you can get much information from that. The only prerequisite is that you know (some) German. How do Benko players answer 1.c4 and 1.Nf3 ? https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1617378426 ChessPub Forum/Benko https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1617378426 Wed, 7 Apr 2021 13:15:53 GMT 1.Nf3 c5 and 1.c4 c5 with the idea of the Botvinnik is a really good approach. Black may not be able to reach a Benko Gambit, but can keep it in English waters and not be move-ordered into some other d-pawn defense. Of course black must be ready for a Sicilian after 1.Nf3 c5 2.e4. I think the combination of Benko and Vienna is going to appeal to only a miniscule proportion of Benko players. Actually, if you took a poll "Benko plus fill-in-the-blank", I would predict Vienna does not even appear in the top twenty! I wonder if Dhopade can move that needle. Survey by Karolyi in New in Chess Yearbook 136 https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1601626596 ChessPub Forum/Benko https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1601626596 Sat, 3 Oct 2020 17:37:13 GMT <a href="https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1601626596/2#2">TD wrote</a> on 10/03/20 at 07:32:25: <div id="2A30353438375902">Thanks for your reply, nestor. I find that a bit strange, because 10...Qb4 is the favourite of Perunovic, and Stockfish thinks it is equal to 10...d6. I would have liked to know the reason for Karolyi's preference. I think I will ask him on Facebook. </div> I have asked Karolyi and he will respond in a few days. Critical lines against the Benko https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1599661734 ChessPub Forum/Benko https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1599661734 Fri, 11 Sep 2020 07:48:10 GMT <a href="https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1599661734/9#9">Syzygy wrote</a> on 09/10/20 at 23:06:35: <div id="4F5153404F40572103">After 17. Nd1 g5!? 18. exd5 exd5 19. Nd2, 19...Qg6 is impossible, and the light squares in Black's kingside are rather weak. Stockfish's evaluation hovers around +1.0, but the position is characteristically murky, so if the position looks acceptable to you, I would understand. </div> Actually, the longer I look at it, the more I like it for Black. After your continuation with 19.Nd2, my computer shows the amazing resource 19. ...Ne5!, sacrificing another pawn. 20.Qxc5 Kh8! and Black seems to have some really nice play. There are many ideas for Black, like Ne5-g6-f4, maybe followed by h6-h5; d5-d4 (opening the long diagonal) or doubling rooks on the f-file and launching a kingside attack. For example 21.h3 Rfc8 22.Qe3 Re8 and White's pieces are poorly coordinated, or 21.Ne3 Ng6! 22.Qc2 Nf4 23.Bf3 h5. OTB I think I would really enjoy this with Black. In correspondence I wouldn't be so sure, but I'm not looking for mathematical equality. And White also has to be very precise to even get the position discussed above. @ Lauri Torni: I disagree. The sidelines you give should be okay for Black: 4.Qc2 d6 (4. ...e6 should also be solid enough) 5.e4 b4. 4.cxb5 a6 5.b6 e6 6.Nc3 Nxd5 7.Nxd5 exd5 8.Qxd5 Nc6 leads to approximately equal and interesting positions, as far as I know. If you don't like that, 5. ...Qxb6 leads to a Benoni structure, where White might be slightly better, but it's definitely playable. 4.Nf3 can be answered with 4. ...g6, if you're fine with the resulting transpositions, or 4. ...Bb7, which is known to be solid. Maybe there is nothing wrong with 4. ...b4 here, either. The two lines you give against the modern Benko 6. ...Bg7 are of course critical, but also interesting. I believe in Blacks compensation here. One funny line: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.bxa6 g6 6.Nc3 Bg7 7.e4 0-0 8.e5!? Ne8 9.h4!? Nxa6!? (9. ...Bxe5 10.Bh6 Ng7 might objectively be better) 10.h5 d6 11.e6! Nb4! 12.a3! fxe6 13.hxg6 hxg6 14.Rb1! Rxa3! 15.bxa3 Bxc3+ 16.Bd2 Nxd5 17.Rb3! Bxd2 18.Qxd2 Nef6 and White should be objectively better, but tables can quickly turn if he's imprecise. The Benko Gambit Explained https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1584553339 ChessPub Forum/Benko https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1584553339 Wed, 18 Mar 2020 18:11:14 GMT I like l'Ami's work, but it's not encouraging that his model game for the main line with 9.Nf3 is Karpov - Georgiev, 1996. Playing the Benko... https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1257965016 ChessPub Forum/Benko https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1257965016 Mon, 24 Feb 2020 17:40:29 GMT <a href="https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1257965016/23#23">halfacreek wrote</a> on 02/15/10 at 22:53:04: <div id="6A636E646361706767690204">Good day, I've just started the Benko and am really enjoying it so far. however, it has me thinking about a cohesive e4 defense. What do benko players play against e4? </div> The Dragon is probably the closest cousin. Fianchetto bishop, dark square play, rooks to the queenside, etc.