sssthepro wrote on 10/27/07 at 06:23:07:


I don't think anyone can give a recipe for "how to win"; I suppose you remember this thread, though http://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1182467733 .  I think your idea of a quick e5 deserves attention (it was played by one GM that I recall, though he ended up losing).  A slower preparation of e5 could involve the idea that e5, if it comes (with White having played f4 and Black ...f6), should lead to greater exposure of Black's king.

I'm avoiding the taimanov attach with the move order 1. d4 e6 2. c4 c5
e.g. 3. d5 exd5 4. cxd5 d6 5. Nc3 g6 6. e4 Bg7 7. f4 a6 8. a4 Nf6 and we have reached the 4 pawn attack of the KID which is playable for black (black has an extra tempo compared to the taimanov attack).
The downside of this move order is that around 10 % of the white players play 2. e4.
The best move for black is of course d5, transposing to the french. Black can also try c5, hoping for Nf3 and transposing to the sicilian, but white can play d5 transposing to the franco-benoni and that is not much fun for black.
From a practical point of view, the 1. .. e6 move order is worth a try. You can then also avoid the modern main line with Ne7 instead of Nf6, but I would not recommend that.

kylemeister wrote on 09/16/07 at 18:05:50:


...and (c) myself  

Smyslov_Fan,
What do u have in mind?

Word of Warning

(From someone who thought this might be an easy way to get away from some of the deeply theoretical lines of the Modern Benoni):

The Franco-Benoni is just bad.  Even bad openings can have nice names.  In this case, White has all the fun.  I now only play it as White and have a perfect score in slow time controls.  This isn't a Schmidt Benoni or some almost playable line.  This line is completely busted and should rightly be considered a blunder.  (Oh yeah, some people have argued that a blunder is only a move that loses outright.  This comes very close to losing by force.)

o.k., looked up some games, the critical continuation is e4 e6 d4 c5 d5!
in these symmetrical positions black is just cramped without much counterplay,
but for someone playing french could be quite a good move order, he is more flexible with the knight ...

The Averbakh KID (with Black playing ...c5) does transpose into the Benoni, but only with the collusion of both players.  Many of the most interesting lines don't transpose.

Quote:



1.  Indeed, that sort of Four Pawns can be reached through either the Benoni or KID, but you seem to be lumping it together with the "Flick-Knife Attack," which is considered more promising for White, and can only be reached via the Benoni.

2.  It's not that simple, since after 6...c5 White can (and probably should) play 7. 0-0.  Then one line is  7...Nc6 8. d5 Na5, when you might say we have a Benoni-ish position, but it's considered better for White than the position after 7. d5.