have you seen this http://www.everymanchess.com/chess/books/Play_the_Benko_Gambit

TN - Kiril Georgiev likes that move order also.

The easiest way to meet the Benko is to decline the pawn sacrifice with b5-b6.

Good idea, Keano. I wouldn't have thought it even worthwhile until this game. (Quite often, White doesn't need Nh4 in the e4 lines.)

I'll publish some of my notes to the game in question when we've moved on a bit.

kylemeister wrote on 07/08/10 at 17:00:23:


After 10..Nb6 11.b3 Bb7, Avrukh gives 12.Nh4 0-0 13.0-0 Ne8 14.Qd2 following V.Milov-Tregubov, Germany 2001 until move 20 and then improving with 20.b4!

Yeah, I seem to recall that 13.Nh4 gets an exclam in Watson's very interesting Volume 4.   Watson concludes, by the way, that Black has difficulty justifying his lost pawn after 10.Rb1.

Smyslov_Fan wrote on 07/04/10 at 19:35:20:


I think it's hard to claim "equality" when you only have two pawns for your piece and the other side doesn't seem to be hurting too much, but I do think that Black has a lot of comp here.  One funny possibility is 17.Qe1 Nb4 18.Qd1 Nd5.

Wow - this is a truly astounding idea, thanks to Smyslov_Fan for turning this up. On first seeing it I had no doubt that the whole thing was ludicrous and unsound, but on further inspection it looks plausible. I would only add that in the original line 15.Re1 Nxd5 16.Re2 Black should retreat the rook to a7 as Smyslov_Fan says (16...Qa8?! 17.Rxa2 Rxa2 18.Bd2 and I couldn't see a decent continuation for Black), but that in the other line 15.b4 c4 16.Re1 Nxd5 17.Re2 Black has 17...Qa8!? when the counterplay with his c-pawn seems to give fully adequate play. To be continued I suspect...perhaps the idea may ultimately prove incorrect but it is fascinating.

whatteaux wrote on 07/04/10 at 06:48:29:


Obviously I meant 7.g3. 7.g4 was a typo.

F22 wrote on 07/04/10 at 05:03:50:


The idea mentioned by Smyslov_Fan 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cb5 a6 5.ba6 Ba6 6.Nc3 g6 7.g3 d6 8.Bg2 Bg7 9.Nf3 Nbd7 10. Rb1! 0-0 11.0-0 Nb6 12.b3 (Avrukh, p. 211) Bb7 13. e4 Nxe4!!? 14.Ne4 Ra2! is very interesting but hard to assess. Since the d5 pawn is doomed, Black is certain to get two good pawns for the piece, destroy White's centre and remain with a great structure. The main variables might now be:

1) Can White coordinate his pieces and find targets, so that his extra piece can be used in attack.
2) Can Black's extra pawns be mobilized, in such a way that White's pieces are cramped, rather than given opportunities to play.

Presumably play would continue something like 15 Re1 Nxd5 16 Re2 to neutralize the rook on the 7th.

I feel the onus is on Black to prove sufficient (rather than merely practical) compensation, but it's a great idea and deserves practical tests. Thanks for mentioning it Smyslov_fan!

Smyslov_Fan wrote on 07/04/10 at 04:06:30:


Here is a diagram after 14. ... Rxa2 in your line:



I guess we could start by examining why is White in big trouble here. So what happens after 15. Re1 for example?

I just ran into a buzz-saw of an idea against Avrukh's main line:

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cb5 a6 5.ba6 Ba6 6.Nc3 g6 7.g4 d6 8.Bg2 Bg7 9.Nf3 Nbd7 10. Rb1! (Avrukh) 0-0 11.0-0 Nb6 12.b3 ("obligatory", according to Avrukh, p. 211) Bb7 13. e4 and instead of 13...e6?!, which Avrukh considered ?! but didn't deign to give an improvement, my opponent unleashed 



13...Nxe4!!? 14.Ne4 Ra2! And White is in deep trouble.  I couldn't find any games that followed this line. White seems to be in serious trouble!  Has anyone seen this line before, and what is the recommended riposte?

Anyone wanting to play the Benko in the Open Section of a Swiss event, or similar, should take a close look at Avrukh's Volume 2 and figure something out.  You could say that about any system I suppose, but this being a pawn sac, I would be especially concerned to have an antidote to Avrukh.

At the club level it is extremely popular and probably scores well. I tend to reject it unless I am in the mood for it.

Easy question. It's because it's not considerely a completely sound defence by GMs, and Black lacks a complete antidote to the Rb1 lines. Even the old e4 lines are still considered slightly better for White. 

When, among 2600 GMs, only Tregubov, Felgaer and a few other guys play the Benko at present, it doesn't bode well for the popularity of the opening.

Korchnoi once stated to Ruben Felgar after crushing his Benko- "You don't give pawns to Grandmasters."

Najdorf Mem. 2005.

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