thibdb13 wrote on 09/21/09 at 11:37:15:


I quite like 6.Nh3 for White since f2 is a common refuge for the knight in the Samisch - often if you commit to an early Nge2, you end up spending four tempi (Nge2-g3-h1-f2 or Nge2-c1-d3-f2) to reach this favourable square. After 6.Be3 or 6.Bg5, Black can play ...c5 d5 Ne5 as you mentioned, when the favourable Nh3-f2 manoeuvre is no longer on the cards.

Once you get your knight to f2 and your opponent's knight is on e5, play f4 and then a4 to stop Black's queenside counterplay. Then prepare the e5 break which is thematic for the Samisch Benoni. If the opponent prevents the e5 break (often you can play it anyway as a pawn sacrifice), then preparing b4 is a strong secondary plan.

10.Be2 is the best move in the position - as stated you prevent ...Bd7 due to f4, and in fact the queen is better placed on d1 for now because it means you do not have to spend a tempo on h3 to get f4 in. After f4 Ned7 you can always play Qd2 to connect the rooks if you are stuck for a more useful move. 

For the record, the position after move 11 (in the diagram) is exactly the sort of position a regular Samisch KID player dreams about. Get the knight to f2 for free, gain two tempi (...Ne5-Ned7) with f4, and overwhelm the opponent with timely e5 and/or b4 breaks. If you do not really like these positions as White, then it seems like a good indication that you should either give up the Samisch and learn a new variation against the King's Indian, or study the variation in more detail. 

I would recommend the second option since the game showed that you have a good feel for where your pieces belong in these types of positions. 

Last friday, I got this game:
1. d4-Nf6 2.c4-g6 3.Nc3-Bg7 4.e4-d6 5.f3-Nbd7!? 6.Nh3-c5 7.d5-Ne5 8.Nf2-a6 9.Be3-Qc7 10.Be2-00 11.00-Re8
I was quite surprised by black's fifth move and, mainly, by the fact he would not castle and, as a consequence, I plaid without imagination, not being able to find some positionnal advantage and quite happy after 25 moves that my opponent offered a draw (which I took).
Looking at this, I have some questions:
- Was 6.Nh3 really a good move? I did not play 6.Be3 because 6...-c5 7.d5-Ne5 made it "impossible to play Nh3, which is regarded as a "good" move against  Nbd7
- Which plan did I have to follow? Engineering an attack on the Q-side or the K-side, should this plan involve castling (on which side?)
- I think 10.Be2 is not a good move but I was after some cheap tactics (because without inspiration) and hoped my opponent would play Bd7 if I could "mount" something against a4/b5 - after Bd7, I could play f4 and the knight would be caught. And of course, my opponent never plaid Bd7