Glenn Snow wrote on 01/10/10 at 10:58:51:


I was thinking the same thing, although I believe that recently White found a route to a small but stable edge in this line. I can't remember the game or moves, though.

Yes, that is indeed offtopic, as well as obtuse.

My opinion about the merits of the Benko is much closer to Paddy's than TN's.  I wasn't aware that White's advantage in the main lines was all that stable, since Black always seems to have pressure long into the game, and if he every manages to regain his pawn he often retains his superior activity.  If there is a system well suited to producing Black wins after 1.d4, the Benko would seem to be it.

The line I would fret over if I took this up would be the fianchetto with 10.Rb1, which as been discussed at some length in other threads.  A recent update said, "The Benko is back!" noting that some strong players are taking it up again, but the question of why there is less fear of the 10.Rb1 line was annoyingly not addressed.

Does anyone have any idea of Black's best play against this based on very recent practice?  Is is this for a few big boys to know and us peons to find out?

Ooops, my bad and I even frequent chessedelic.com where he's got a couple of videos on the "Volga" and the Sveshnikov!

TN wrote on 01/06/10 at 06:07:44:


That's pretty much how I played it. I did not always play ...Qa5 though. Usually I decided behind the board (after all it's move 11 already and the first 10 moves went within five minutes) how to arrange my heavy artillery: Q to a5, b6 or a8.

ChessMonkey wrote on 01/05/10 at 22:29:55:


Firstly, I commend you on deciding to play openings other than the KID against 1.d4 - most players who play only the KID against 1.d4 eventually stagnate due to playing it for too long, which can only be solved by playing other openings as well. 

You will get the Benko in about half of your games if you are below 2000, so make sure you are well prepared for White's d-pawn Specials. 2.Nf3 is a problem for some Benko players, but a good solution is to play 2...c5 and meet 3.c3/e3 with 3...d5 (Black has no difficulties in equalising here) and 3.d5 with 3...b5.

If you can only draw from the slightly better positions you get out of the Benko, then unless you are playing someone over 2300, that is the fault of your endgame play rather than the opening. In any opening, there will always be at least one variation that is somewhat drawish, but usually it can be avoided in some way without making any major concessions. The Volga Gambit seems to pass the 'Van der Wiel test' - for example, Tregubov has beaten weaker players fairly consistently with the Benko the last time I checked. 

By the way, I don't entirely agree with the Van der Wiel quote - the best way to draw against a stronger player is not to play for a draw, but to play aggressively, seize the initiative even at the cost of a pawn, and keep setting problems for the opponent. If you reach a position with 'good drawing chances' against a stronger player, you are just as likely to lose the position as you are to draw it.

The Benko has never had a great reputation, as White gains a stable += in the main lines, but below 2500 it is playable, and below 2400 it is a good opening for playing for the win. Pinski even said once that below 2300, the 5.ba6 Benko can be played on autopilot: 5...g6, 6...Ba6, ...d6, ...Bg7, ...Nbd7, ...0-0 (above 2300 you'll need to know to play 10...Nb6 if White plays 7.g3), ...Qa5, ...Rfb8, and look out for tactics. 

I disagree with downward's advice - the decision of whether to regain the pawn or not depends on the position. For example, regaining a pawn with ...Bg7xNc3 followed by capturing the a-pawn is too risky in some instances, and the only good option in other cases.

I watched Andrew Martin`s video on the Benko and noticed one important fact: when strong players played black and they had the opportunity to get the pawn back, but this would result in too many exchanges of the pieces, the black players chose different way to proceed - they increased the pressure and did not care about that single pawn.
I think only weak players try to get the pawn back at the first opportunity - that is definitely not the way to play a gambit.