I suggest just playing 3.Nf3, especially if you've played the English Opening as White. It's not like the 3...cxd4 4.Nd4 e5 5.Nb5 d5 6.cxd5 Bc5 gambit is scary for White.

If Black tries a delayed Benoni (e.g. 6...c5 in the KID), you can play d5 and meet ...exd5 with exd5.

The fianchetto lines are strategically complex, not tactical slugfests, and they're fine and more than fine if you're well booked and tactically alert (defensively), but it does take White a while to get untangled in safety; and until he does, Black does get some of the opening's characteristic queenside pressure and tactical chances.

For a line that is solid in the sense of denying that to Black--a good idea for someone with a terrible record against the Benko--take a look at Squeezing the Gambits. It offers a ..b6 repertoire, along with an alternative to counter the early ...e6 ideas. This line really is solid in that it subjects White to much less early pressure and is easier to handle.

raja wrote on 03/07/11 at 17:06:26:


I think that both of these choices are pretty critical (what I play too). However, none seem to be very solid. The solid way to play against the Benko is for me to decline with b6.

I faced Benoni many times when playing blitz online and very rare do i lose.....i love to play against benoni infact...i suggest you h3 Nf3 Bd3 setup 
For Benko the only way for playing for advantage is to accept the pawn... i strongly suggest you to read Avrukh's repertoire it has very nice explanation.... 

I play that line (which as far as I know doesn't have a generally accepted name?) as White.
I think a more correct characterisation is that in the ...Na6 lines, White is forced to switch gears from the caveman approach (Ojanen-Keres, Penrose-Tal) into quieter lines, as the Nc7 exerts too much pressure on d5 for the route one approach to work.

Hi

My question is related.

I just got back into chess after many years and Im working on a openingrepetoire to be able to survive against some of the more unusual openings my opponents can come up with against my 1 d4, 2 c4, 3 sc3 . The aim is to find lines with and the following characteristics:

1 Sound against best reply.
2 Light on theory
3 Possibilities of taking black out of the type of position he would normally obtain from the mainlines of the opening.
4 Possibilities for the opponent to go wrong tactically or positionally even with natural looking moves.
5 Low risk of going wrong tactically/positionallyfor white if white knows the basic ideas.
6 Not latest fashion (a surprise weapon).

This may lead to “Low risk/low Gain” openings but essentially I am ok with that. I’m not looking for a clear edge out of the opening but rather sound playable positions.

My starting rating after getting back has been set to 1600 but I am improving fast - 120 rarting already and not loosing a single game yet so I think I will meet 1800 - 2000 opponents soon.

What would you recomend against the Benoni?

best,
Larsen_fan

Hi Dr Kodos,
What line vs Benko would you recoomend for the "attacking" player??  Also is the Mikenas the 4 pawns attack or a line with f3?? 
Thanks,
Zatara

Kowl wrote on 01/06/09 at 20:34:42:


There is some fun and unclear play in the Mikenas if Black plays dxe5, which happens frequently.  Not many sources on this, so it is one early Black deviation on which to pursue some individual homework.


As for 5.b6 v, the Benko, I always enjoyed playing Black against this line by embracing the doubled c pawns Black gets w/...e6 right away to hit the White center while it is a bit vulnerable. Gives Black easy play and chances to play for a full point.  Black's position after
5. ...e6 6.Nc3 Nd4  7.Nd5 ed  8. Qd6 Nc6 looks ugly but has proven to be relatively easy to hold the draw, or play for more if White gets careless.

9.Nf3 Rb8 10. Ne5 (10.Bd2 !) Qf6 11.Nxc6 bc 12 Qe4+ Be7 =

and Black is the one that will have fun, if any is to be had, I find.

As white, I relentlessly cave in to my fears and punt w/ 4Nf3 or Qc2 now that the Zaitsev is really not so hot to trot.  I tried the Rb1 lines, but kept getting steamrolled by rooks in the late middlegame.