I looked into b6 once, I don't think it's really good,
but can't remember anymore the refutation, because I don't enter the benko anymore

Isn't there a variation for black with an early e6?

kramnik topalov?
10. rb1 is said to be the best,
but I don't enter the benko, I just hate to face it, I prefer to squeeze the benko players in an english eagle, where there is barely space to breathe, hehe

Steinitz,W - Paulsen,L [A41]
Wien, 1873

1.c4 d6 2.d4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.Nf3 f5 5.g3 Nh6 6.h4 Nf7 7.h5 e6 8.e4 Nd7 9.Bg2 a6 10.Be3 Nf6 11.hxg6 hxg6 12.Rxh8+ Nxh8 13.e5 Ng4 14.Bg5 Qd7 15.Qe2 Nf7 16.Bh4 c5 17.dxc5 dxe5 18.Ng5 Nxg5 19.Bxg5 Qc7 20.Ne4 Kf8 21.0-0-0 Bd7 22.f3 fxe4 23.fxg4 Be8 24.Qf2+ Kg8 25.Bxe4 Rc8 26.b3 Bf8 27.Qf6 Bg7 28.Qxe6+ Bf7 29.Qxc8+ Qxc8 30.Rd8+ Qxd8 31.Bxd8 Be6 32.Bxb7 Bxg4 33.Bxa6 e4 34.c6 e3 35.Ba5 Be5 36.Be1 Bf3 37.Bb5 Kf7 38.c5 Ke7 39.b4 g5 40.Ba4 Kd8 41.b5 Kc8 42.b6 e2 43.Bb5 g4 44.Ba6+ Kb8 45.c7+ Bxc7 46.bxc7+ Kxc7 47.Bb5 1-0

Duras,O - Popov,A [A85]
Praha CSpS, 1900

1.d4 f5 2.c4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Bg5 Bg7 5.e3 0-0 6.Nf3 d6 7.Bd3 h6 8.Bh4 g5 9.Bg3 Nc6 10.h4 g4 11.Nd2 Nh5 12.Nf1 e5 13.dxe5 dxe5 14.f3 Nxg3 15.Nxg3 f4 16.Nf1 g3 17.Qe2 a6 18.0-0-0 Qe8 19.e4 Ne7 20.Nd5 Nxd5 21.exd5 Bd7 22.Nd2 b5 23.c5 Qe7 24.c6 Bf5 25.Bxf5 Rxf5 26.Ne4 Rd8 27.Qc2 Qf7 28.d6 Bf8 29.dxc7 Rxd1+ 30.Rxd1 Qxc7 31.Rd7 1-0

Metger,J - Mieses,J [A53]
Oostende-B (20), 1907

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 d6 3.Nf3 Nbd7 4.Bg5 Ne4 5.Bc1 g6 6.Nbd2 f5 7.Qc2 Ndf6 8.e3 Bg7 9.Bd3 Nxd2 10.Bxd2 b6 11.0-0 Qd7 12.Bc3 0-0 13.Nd2 Bb7 14.f3 e5 15.d5 Bh6 16.Rfe1 Rae8 17.e4 f4 18.a4 g5 19.a5 g4 20.Be2 Bc8 21.Kh1 Qf7 22.fxg4 Bxg4 23.Bxg4 Nxg4 24.Nf3 Kh8 25.axb6 axb6 26.b4 Rg8 27.Rg1 Qh5 28.c5 Rg5 29.h3 Ne3 30.Qe2 Reg8 31.Nxe5 dxe5 32.Qf3 bxc5 33.bxc5 Qxf3 34.gxf3 Rxg1+ 35.Rxg1 Rxg1+ 36.Kxg1 Nc4 37.Kf2 Kg7 38.Ke2 Kf6 39.Kd3 Ne3 40.Bb4 Bf8 41.Ba5 Bxc5 42.Bxc7 h5 ... 0-1

Uberdecker wrote on 07/13/09 at 10:47:43:


Then what do you think of Eliah Williams? Especially some of his games as Black at London 1851?

MNb wrote on 07/13/09 at 02:14:54:


Can you post the game? I thought Nimzo-Tartakower in the 1920s was the first outing.

On the "Benko or Leningrad Dutch", I'd say the Dutch is an Opening and the Benko more of a variation as it's much easier to avoid. 

But I'd warn against playing the Dutch "only in must win situations", either you play the Dutch or you don't! 

Btw, explore not only the Leningrad, but also the Stonewall & Classical - and you'll have a good, challenging reply to 1.d4/c4/Nf3 for life, as well as being hard to prepare against...

Benko is certainly better. Dutch is unorthodox, but Benko has been played by exponentx such as Kasparov, marking its strength.

Chwileulotne85 wrote on 06/23/09 at 19:10:17:

They really are very nice to play if you feel comfortable in these positions. By the way, I also still hesitate between the Benoni and the Leningrad and as I can see at the forum we are not alone in this situation.

Chwileulotne85 wrote on 06/22/09 at 09:50:03:


Stick with the Leningrad.  In a must win situation, the Benko is too easily avoided by 2.Nf3.


edit:  Oops, just saw FischerTal said pretty much the same thing, as well as making some other good points.

Well both these defenses offer good practical chances, but I have no doubt that the Benko is much easier to play.  What is presently considered to be the main theoretical challenge is 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.axb5 a6 5.bxa6 Bxa6 6.Nc3 d6 7.Nf3 g6 8.g3 Bg7 9.Bg2 0-0 10.Rb1 and soon b3.  White's game here is considered quite good, but Black still has his typcial Benko play, so it's a game of chess.  Below 2300 or so, I wouldn't think that this would be so bad for Black.

Actually, over this weekend I was looking at Black's play in this variation, and I noticed that 10...Nbd7 11.0-0 Ne8 is topical. E.g. 12.Qc2 Nc7 13.Rd1 Bxc3!?.  I wonder if anyone has any information or opinions about this line.