I see what you mean about the F-B, Paul -- but from where I sit at the chessboard (i.e. on a lower board than you!) things are perhaps a bit different. If I were entering a F-B it'd be via 1 e4 e6 2 d4 c5, and in my circles 2 d4 is much the commonest. As an Owen's player I'd be happy to play 3 ...b6 if White avoids 3 d5, and if I were scheming say a Taimanov, Kan or Scheveningen Sicilian I might be happy to have avoided lines like 2 Nc3 (and regular 2 c3 lines, though here I admit I'd probably choose 2 ...b6 anyway!).

What I'd love to see is a detailed diagnosis of the F-B itself, though this is probably not the forum for that. I haven't yet tried it in a serious game, but I've found in casual games that it has considerable surprise value, which doesn't count for nothing ...

Interesting thoughts, Paul -- thanks.

I guess Black might want to enter an Owen's via this unusual move order, and/or avoid a Sicilian when one seemed to beckon, if and only if he saw himself as specialising in the Franco-Benoni, really wished to reach that as Black and saw the other lines as subsidiary. Which brings us back to the question that you raise, namely, can the F-B be any good when it's so rarely played? I suppose one might ask the same question of the Owen's, but then, comparatively rare though it is too, it has at least achieved a mini-vogue which the F-B hasn't! Can a less common opening turn out actually to be perfectly good? As a Nimzowitsch Defence (or more properly Kennedy Defence: 1 e4 Nc6 2 d4 e5) player I'd argue that it can, but obviously it's by analysis that any line finally stands or falls. Anyone else got any views/analysis on the Franco-Benoni? -- my feeling is that, unless the GMs really know it to be bad, theory on it is in a rather undeveloped state.

I think 3 c3 a6 4 Nf3 b5!? is interesting and it seems to score OK. Similarly 3 Nf3 a6 4 Nc3 b5!? as you suggest. Both these lines seem to be played by some surprisingly strong players, and I was surprised to find the latter so often being reached by 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 a6, which I'd always thought dubious because of 3 c4! ...!

I am one of those Dutch players, who prefer 1.d4 e6. On 1.d4 e6 2.Nc3 I came to about the same conclusions as Paul Cumbers. But I had one question: what if White does not play e4? Say 1.d4 e6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Bg5 and what are Black's options?

Quote:

If you play the Franco-Benoni, you have to be ready for an Open Sicilian with 3.Nf3 or a c3-Sicilian with 3.c3. Also, after 3.c3 d5 4.e5 Black would find himself in a French anyway. The only good way to avoid this would be 3...Nf6 when 4.e5 Nd5 transposes to a variation of the c3-Sicilian with 2...Nf6. Nevertheless, if White has played 1.d4 he probably won't want to transpose into a 1.e4 opening.

In practice, the Franco-Benoni doesn't seem to be very popular (maybe partly due to these tricky transpositions), and 1.d4 e6 players are happy to enter a French with 2.e4 d5. The point of 1.d4 e6 is usually to avoid the Trompowsky whilst allowing Black to aim for his favourite Nimzo-Indian or Modern Benoni. Some Dutch players also like it (i.e. 1.d4 e6 2.c4/g3/Nf3 f5!) as it avoids certain awkward variations (e.g. 1.d4 f5 2.Bg5/e4). And of course 1.d4 e6 2.c4 b6 is the English Defence.

1.d4 e6 2.c4 Bb4+ is quirky but hardly a reason for White to avoid 2.c4. Even so, 2.Nf3 is popular with 2...c5!? being an interesting idea [see Eric Prie's section at ChessPublishing.com, but watch out for that Open Sicilian again with 3.e4!]. Or, if you play the Dutch, go ahead with 2...f5, but I wouldn't recommend 2...b6 on account of 3.e4! with an Owen's Defence which isn't that great for Black.

2.Nc3!? has some independent significance. Black must be careful, e.g. 2...f5?! 3.e4! with a bad Dutch (i.e. after 1.d4 f5 2.Nc3, Black would avoid 2...e6?! in favour of 2...d5 or Nf6). Also, 2...c5 3.dxc5 Bxc5 4.Ne4! transposes to a good line for White normally reached via 1.d4 c5. The threat of Nxc5/Nd6+ gives White the bishop-pair, although Stefan Bucker thinks 4...Bb4+! 5.c3 d5 6.cxb4 dxe4 7.Qxd8+ Kxd8 is fine for Black. Finally, 2...b6 3.e4 is Owen's Defence again.

The safest answer to 2.Nc3 is either 2...Nf6 or d5. But then the game reaches a Veresov-type position with Black having restricted his options by committing himself to an early ...e6 (e.g. there's no 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Bg5 c5!?). Also after, say, 2...Nf6 3.Bg5 (or 3.e4 d5) 3...d5 4.e4, Black finds himself in a Classical French which might not suit fans of the Winawer! Glenn Flear suggested 2...d5 3.Nf3 c5!? to me, but 4.e4 dxe4 (or 4...Nf6 5.Bg5) 5.Nxe4 cxd4 6.Qxd4 seems to give White a useful lead in development. Maybe the best bet is 2...d5 3.Nf3 Nf6, but an early ...e6 and ...d5 looks like the sort of thing a QGD enthusiast would play, not devotees of the Nimzo-Indian / Modern Benoni!

One final thought: is 2.Nc3 Bb4!? playable? Obviously Black would be happy with 3.e4 d5 (the Winawer!), but can White take advantage of the fact that he hasn't played e4 yet? Any thoughts much appreciated.

P.S. Check out the 1.d4, e6; thread for a similar discussion:
http://altmax.com/cgi-local/cpf/YaBB.cgi?board=dpawnspecials;action=display;num=...

Sorry to have to contradict you, M.Nb, but there is also the Franco-Benoni : 1.d4, e6 2. e4, c5. But you do not have to dislike the french to play that.

They might do if they're not happy to play a french.

I'd definitely consider 1.d4 e6 2.c4 Bb4+ 3.Nd2 as okay for white (I don't know exactly for which side it is advantageous that the moves 2...Nf6 3.Nf3 have been left out in comparison to a well-established sharp Bogo Indian variation). Also there's the the question of what one would do instead of 2.c4 anyway, 2.e4 might lead to positions one doesn't want to play and 2.Nf3 might be non-ideal after either 2...c5 or maybe even 2...b6!?.

I just had a look at TWIC and indeed after 3.Bb4+ the move 3.Bd2 doesn't score well for white (49%), but not primarily because of 3...Bxd2+ 4.Qxd2 after which black has swapped off his dark-squared bishop while at the same time having set up his pawns (well, the one he's moved anyway) on the white squares. The main move seems to be rather 3...a5, which is sort of similar to some Bogo-Indian variations. The move 3.Nd2 scores 58% for white.