After 6.Nf3 a6 7.Be2 b5 is interesting for blacks

TN could u put that game up on chesspub pretty please?

Cant seem to find it ...

I don't trust the Benoni Wall at all; the game Arutinian-Hacche, Canberra 2011, among others, is a model example of how to crush this line. 

The Schmid Benoni is okay, but personally I would recommend 3...b5 or 3...e6 above 3...d6, more as a matter of personal preference than objective merit. In the latter, you can meet 4.Nc3 with the dangerous gambit 4...b5!?, and 4.c4 b5 brings you to a Blumenfeld Gambit. 

An interesting move order trick is 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 c5 3.d5 d6 4.Nc3 e5, when after 5.e4 you have avoided the critical Bb5 and f4 lines due to the move Nf3, but ...Nf6 probably isn't Black's best developing move either. 

Finally there is 1...c5 2.d5 d6 3.e4 Nf6 4.Nc3 g6, which may well be Black's best move order if he wants to get a Schmid Benoni since after 3.c4 he can play 3...e5 and decide whether to transpose to a Czech Benoni with ...Nf6 or remain in Benoni Wall waters.

MNb wrote on 08/08/11 at 16:28:36:


IIrc, white should postpone Nc3 for a few moves to be able to meet ...Bg4 with Nbd2.

I've also dabbled with the Czech but eventually decided to stick with the Dutch.

1...c5 has its drawbacks in the c4-square and early f4, but on the other hand it's more flexible vs the common e3+c3 systems, and after 1.d4 c5 2.d5 e5 3.e4 d6 white often goes for 4.c4 anyway (with a rare defence like the Czech many whites will have little experience in the ML positions and even less without the pawn on c4), but then 4...Be7 is a nifty resource, as many will continue on autopilot with 5.Nc3 only to run into 5...Bg5!

Instead, 5.Nf3 stops Bg5 but after 5...Nf6 black has avoided white's Nge2 set-ups. Not a bad pay off for a slightly risky move order.

The problem with the pure 1...c5 lines are after 1 d4 c5 2 d5 e5 3 e4 d6 and now both 4 f4 and 4 Bb5+ should be something for white.

Palliser covers this move order in his "How to play against 1 d4" book, which primarily recommends the Czech Benoni.  I think you should look at this

I actually think the Schimd Benoni isn't that bad for black at all.  Sergei Kasparov is the man to look for, both for his games and his recent two part survey in some New in Chess Yearbooks which cover it.

I am thinking on taking up the Czech Benoni as a backup defence versus 1.d4. (I find the Modern Benoni far too theoretical for that purpose. )
BUT if I start with 1..c5 then White can omit c2-c4 completely and place a piece (a Knight, for example) on the vacant c4-square, etc etc...

By now I have reduced my dilemma to a single question:
Which position is more playable from Black's point of view,
1. d4 c5 2. d5 e5 3. e4 d6 4. Nc3 Be7 ( if 4.c4 then 4..Nf6 )

?
OR
1.d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 c5 3. d5 d6 4. Nc3 g6 ( if 4.c4 then 4..e5 )

?

(If the latter, then I will start with 1..Nf6 2.<any move by White>=>2..c5.)