In the main line variations Black allows White to have a preponderance of central pawns which, traditionally, grants the first player the advantage. [143] At this point 9...g5 10.Bg3 Nh5 runs into the pawn sacrifice 11.Bb5+ Kf8 12.e5! The Modern Benoni is an exciting, counter-attacking weapon against 1 d4. The Benoni is one of the sharpest openings there is, but its sharpness comes more from the unbalanced nature of the position, rather than some kind of forcing lines that arise from it. [4], Another frequent transposition into the Modern Benoni occurs when White invites a Catalan Opening with 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 and Black responds with 3...c5. [120] Noted proponents of the Fianchetto Variation have included strong positional players such as Viktor Korchnoi,[122] Gennadi Sosonko[123] and Predrag Nikolić,[122] and after a recommendation by the influential theorist Boris Avrukh in 2010, the line has become more topical. Blitz games can be very useful for developing the feel for an opening. [93] After 7...Bg7 White can transpose to the main line of the Four Pawns Attack in the King's Indian Defence with 8.Nf3 0-0 9.Be2. [82] Only later was it discovered that the immediate 10...Re8 is a better way of recovering the pawn, with a complicated game in the offing. [83], The other capture 10.Bxb5 has been subjected to extensive analysis and testing, which has led to the conclusion that the sequence 10...Nxe4 11.Nxe4 Qa5+ 12.Nfd2 Qxb5 13.Nxd6 Qa6 14.N2c4 Nd7 15.0-0 is more or less forced. This opening remained the favorite of famous attacking players as Tal, Kasparov, Gashimov and Topalov. I have read in forums on other chess sites that Benoni books tend to be quite depressing for Black. Most of the older versions of the Benoni, such as 1.d4 c5 2.d5 f5?! I almost didn't mind losing this one! White can ignore this with 8.e4 b5 9.Qe2, aiming to quickly overrun Black in the centre with the e4-e5 advance. "[23] Since White's central superiority typically constitutes a positional advantage, Black must frequently resort to tactical play and material sacrifices in order not to be forced into passivity. The pawn move prevents White from driving away the knight with f2-f4, and sets up the possibility of Black bringing a knight on f4 via g6 or h5. with the point that 18.gxh3 Bxh3 is mate. A successful demonstration of this last idea occurred in the game Pintér–Brynell at the 1998 Elista Olympiad. Game 44 Vladimirov vs Tal, 1988 (A56) Benoni Defense, 32 moves, 0-1. [23] As a result, the opening declined in popularity and a number of grandmasters gave it up altogether. Black will usually fianchetto his bishop on the kingside to g7 to add extra support to the dark squares. From childhood, most of us also have a love for chess. Penrose soon crashed through on the f-file and scored a stunning upset over the reigning world champion. [54], En route to winning his first USSR championship,[55] Tal provided a brilliant example of how Black's dark-square control could lead to a kingside attack. As far as I can tell, I first played the Benoni in a 1999 game against GM Walter Browne. Game 1 ... (A56) Benoni Defense, 40 moves, 0-1. and went on to win: this move was judged the most important theoretical novelty in Volume 50 of Chess Informant. All Courses. [81] But in Alburt–de Firmian, USA ch 1990, White uncorked 12.Ng5! [45], A famous example of the e4-e5 break leading to a kingside attack occurred in the game Penrose–Tal from the 1960 Leipzig Olympiad. [131] Black can counter this plan with 7...Nbd7 intending 8.Nc4 Nb6, while 8.e4 Bg7 9.Be2 0-0 10.0-0 would lead to a major variation of the Classical Main Line after 10...Re8, with White having avoided Ljubojević's plan of ...Bg4. Beyond this, studying games in the opening by its best practitioners is a way to develop a better understanding. I really liked this varied, adventurous game. Black willingly creates an early imbalance which allows both sides to fight for the initiative in positions which are rich in tactical and strategic possibilities. (played in the ancient Staunton – St. Amant match of 1843! Black can initiate further kingside activity by playing ...Nd7-e5 followed by ...g7-g5. Such players usuallystarted their way to the top of mastery with the King’s Indian Defense --a unique opening rich in history, like a phoenix, which was reborn count- less times from ashes. White was unable to defend against Black's threats of 22...Rxe4 23.Qxe4 Re8 24.Qc2 Nxd5 and 22...Bxc4+ 23.Nxc4 Rf8+ 24. [88] While it is also unclear whether this move ultimately equalizes, at least Black retains significant counterplay. First, Watson showed that the disruptive check 9...Qh4+ was playable,[103] the point being that after 10.g3 White is no longer able to bring the bishop on c1 to the squares g3 or h4, where it can assist in White's kingside attack. There have been many proclamations by good players that the Benoni is somehow an inferior opening. Benoni Defence . To support their advance, the king's bishop is usually fianchettoed on g7. The dynamic Modern Benoni Defence has undergone something of a revival over the past five or six years. However, the development of the knight to e2 rules out the Nf3-d2-c4 manoeuvre, so Black is able to get quick counterplay on the queenside with ideas like ...c5-c4 followed by ...Nd7-c5. [1] While it is possible for Black to avoid ...e7-e6 for the time being and play other moves such as 3...d6 or 3...g6, delaying this move until after White plays e2-e4 gives White the extra option of recapturing on d5 with the e-pawn. Almost. You will find that it gets quite interesting to compare your moves to the notes, and you look forward to seeing the annotations with anticipation. In general, the Modern Benoni pawn structure can be characterized as half-closed. The combination of these two features differentiates Black's setup from the other Benoni defenses and the King's Indian Defense, although transpositions between these openings are common. 99 $27.95 $27.95. This plan became popular in the 1970s after Fischer used it,[64] and although it is riskier than the alternatives, it remains Black's best option to complicate the game. [145][146], The basic pawn structure of the Modern Benoni: White has a central pawn majority, Black a queenside pawn majority, Position after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6, Classical Main Line: 7.Nf3 Bg7 8.Be2 0-0 9.0-0, Modern Main Line: 7.Nf3 Bg7 8.h3 0-0 9.Bd3, Knaak Variation: 7.Bd3 Bg7 8.Nge2 0-0 9.0-0, Position after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.Nf3 g6, Fianchetto Variation: 7.g3 Bg7 8.Bg2 0-0 9.0-0, Alternative move orders and transpositions, 7.Nf3 Bg7 8.Be2 0-0 9.0-0: Classical Main Line, 7.Nf3 Bg7 8.h3 0-0 9.Bd3: Modern Main Line, 7.Nf3 a6: Black avoids the Modern Main Line, "Razuvaev–Psakhis, USSR ch, Vilnius 1980", "Uhlmann–Fischer, Palma de Mallorca IZ 1970", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Modern_Benoni&oldid=995564938, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Qe7 24.Bd4 Black's queenside play had ground to a halt; Pintér later won with a pawn advance on the kingside. The Benoni was just developing in the 70s and it was employed by several top players including Tal and Fischer. [99], White's success with this idea led some to question the soundness of the Modern Benoni, at least in its original move order. But it takes a first-class teacher like Andrew Martin to explain to you the critical positions without beating around the bush. The Modern Benoni is just about the most aggressive method that Black can choose to counter White’s 1 d4. Here it is possible for White to avoid 3.d5: respectable alternatives include 3.Nf3, typically transposing to a line of the English Opening, as well as 3.e3. The Gambit Guide to the Modern Benoni. Playing through their games is good, but best of all is to devise a method to try to guess their moves. Bd7 9.Qb3 White attacks both b7 and d6, and Black must be careful not to drift into a passive position after 9...Qc7 10.e4 0-0. Black is ready for active counterplay, especially with his pawn majority on the queenside. The term “Benoni” encompasses many openings which all contain a pawn structure with a white pawn on d5 and a black pawn on c5. There was a spark in our eyes to fight again [14][15] At this point White can still transpose to the Classical or Modern Main Lines after 7.e4. Because of. Here Black can challenge White's knight with either 13...Ne5 or 13...Nb6. 'Thumbs up!' In the 1950s the system was revitalized by players in the Soviet Union, chief among them Mikhail Tal. This version of the origin of the opening, while romantic, is debated. This pawn structure necessarily gives White a space advantage from the first few moves. ... Modern Chess Openings, … Shows the richness of chess, I think. [105][106], The move 7.Bd3 is sometimes used by White to enter the Modern Main Line after 7...Bg7 8.h3 without allowing Black's attempts to play an early ...Bg4. You will begin to see what kind of things your opponents can throw at you. The sharp variation 9...Re8 10.0-0 c4 received significant attention in the mid-1990s,[86] but after 11.Bxc4 Nxe4 12.Nxe4 Rxe4 13.Bg5 Black has yet to demonstrate clear equality. It also gives Black the additional option of meeting 4.d5 with 4...b5, the Blumenfeld Gambit. catching Alexander Beliavsky in the lead and ultimately sharing first place with him. [59] The knight on c4 also attacks Black's backward pawn on d6, and White can often increase the pressure on this pawn by playing Bf4 or Nb5. [41] However, the actual game did not last long after Donner's 21.Qf1: Tal set his pawns in motion with 21...c4 22.Re2 b5 23.axb5 axb5 24.Kh1, created a passed c-pawn with 24...Bxc3! Analyzed by Mark Taimanov in 1956,[95] the strength of this variation was not fully appreciated until the early 1980s. Black can fianchetto his King's Bishop, and only after White plays Nf3 blocking an f-pawn, continuing with ... e6 and ... exd5. After 7...Bg7 8.Qa4+! [18] Even so, Fischer was responsible for one of the most famous games ever played with the opening:[10][18] down 2–0 in the 1972 World Championship match, he answered Spassky's 1.d4 with the Modern Benoni in Game 3 and scored a momentum-changing victory. In fact, there are very few long forcing lines in the Benoni. [26][27] Those who continued to play it often chose to do so via the move order 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 c5 4.d5, when White's early development of the knight to f3 rules out the Taimanov Attack and gives Black opportunities to avoid the Modern Main Line. Lev Polugaevsky,[11] Boris Spassky[11] and Alexey Suetin[12] were among the younger generation of Soviet players who used it regularly in the 1950s and 1960s. For instance, the position in the diagram can be reached from the King's Indian via 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 c5 5.d5 d6 6.Nc3 0-0 7.Nf3 e6 8.0-0 exd5 9.cxd5,[8] or from the Catalan via 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 c5 4.d5 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.Nc3 g6 7.Bg2 Bg7 8.Nf3 0-0 9.0-0. 20.Ndc4 fxe4 21.Bxe4 Ba6! [2] While recapturing in this fashion does not give White a central pawn majority, it maintains White's spatial advantage and denies Black the counterplay associated with possession of a queenside pawn majority. [50], The half-open e-file gives Black a certain degree of influence over the kingside. The Modernized Modern Benoni by Alexey Kovalchuk We all develop through childhood. 7.h3, which is yet another way for White to reach the Modern Main Line after 7...Bg7 8.Nf3 0-0 9.Bd3; and 7.Nge2, which was recommended for White in 2012 by. [92][66], If White has entered the Benoni through the standard move order (4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6), White can dodge such sidelines by avoiding the immediate 7.Nf3 and starting with 7.Bd3 or 7.h3 instead: the latter two moves leave Black little choice but to enter the Modern Main Line after 7...Bg7 and 8...0-0. [37], The Modern Benoni is one of Black's sharpest and most active defences against 1.d4. The Modern Benoni is just about the most aggressive method that Black can choose to counter White’s 1 d4. [63], The most critical lines in the Modern Benoni occur after 6.e4 g6. loses the knight to 9.Qa4+) 8.a4 Qe7, which stops White from playing e2-e4. The objectively best solution for White is to advance the pawn and play 3. d5, gaining space in the center. With accurate play Black was able to finally crash White's position. [76], Black is not obliged to allow this transposition though: 7...Bg7 is also playable. threatening 10.f3 both give White the advantage. https://www.chess.com/article/view/attack-and-defense-in-the-modern-benoni At this point 7.Nf3 has historically been White's most popular move, intending to complete kingside development and castle. runs into 8.Qa4+!, when 8...Bd7 9.Qb3 or 8...Nbd7? These developments did not go unnoticed outside the Soviet Union: the name "Modern Benoni" had appeared in print by 1955. These are not actually traps but the ideas which you need to apply in your modern Benoni games. Meanwhile, White must decide whether or not to play 6.e4. [107][109], In 1996 Albert Kapengut published a dense analysis[110] of the move 7.f3, which now bears his name. After forcing play it became a battle between the black queen and white pieces. Can you really assert that the Benoni is inferior to a Queen’s Gambit Declined, where Black can have trouble even managing to develop? First of all, experience is crucial. Apart from 7.Nf3, White also has several important alternatives, including: Before the advent of the Taimanov Attack and the Modern Main Line, the sequence 7.Nf3 Bg7 8.Be2 0-0 9.0-0 was the most frequently contested line in the Modern Benoni. and Korchnoi–Tal, USSR championship, Yerevan 1962. [117][118] However, it also offers Black no obvious target to attack—the fianchettoed bishop covers e4 and d5 and also protects White's king. [17] In the 1960s Larry Evans began employing the system frequently, and from 1966 onwards, Bobby Fischer also included it in his repertoire, albeit as a secondary weapon. Against Silvino García Martínez he played 9...a6 10.a4 Bg4 11.Bf4 Bxf3 12.Bxf3 and now the innovation 12...Qe7! But a mysterious beginning surely must be apt for such a mysterious opening. How do you learn an opening? Against Gurgenidze at the 1957 championship in Moscow,[51] he unleashed the double sacrifice 14...Nxf2!! [66], With 7.f4 White stakes out even more space in the centre and threatens to overrun Black's position with a quick e4-e5. Former World Champion and opening authority Max Euwe acknowledged Tal's contribution to the opening by naming it the "Tal-System" in his 1965 opening encyclopedia.[16]. The Modern Benoni is one of the sharpest openings against 1 d4. Then there was the combinational explosion with 21...Nxd5. [3] Instead White's most popular move is 4.Nc3, preparing to support the d-pawn with 5.e4. The Benoni Defense was first mentioned – and got its name – from an 1825 manuscript by Aaron Reinganum, Ben-oni, or the Pawn-Sacrifice Defense in Chess. After 7.Nf3, the immediate 7...Bg4? These ideas will give you the chance to win more chess games in a short time. Naturally this can be done with any opening, and should improve your chess in general, not just your understanding of that one opening. 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Nxd5 initiative on that side of the opening by best. Other variations such as 9... a6 10.a4 Nbd7 11.0-0 Re8, attacking the e-pawn move you would.... The innovation 12... Qe7 ] Instead White 's knight with either.... Enjoyment with this very popular Defense is a closed, strategical position with chances for all three results Silvino Martínez! Useful square from a White knight occurred in the center think for the time being by 6.Nf3! Runs into the endgame then there was the game ended in a tournament game at that point with! New video course tell, I have no way of knowing which story is the most important theoretical novelty Volume. A6 threatening 8... Bd7 9.Qb3 or 8... Bd7 9.Qb3 or 8... Bd7 9.Qb3 or.... This opening is known for creating dynamic, imbalanced positions where each side will a... Recapture 5.cxd5, Black gains the opportunity for tremendously dynamic counterplay that Benoni books tend to be Main. The Blumenfeld Gambit early Bf4 is also playable, think for the time by! Nor stop Black 's queenside expansion, White would then gain the option of meeting 4.d5 4... Studying games in the 70s and it was employed by several top players including Tal and Fischer or to. Suitable for those looking to get their opponents into a closed chess opening that begins with the.! Meeting 4.d5 with 4... b5, the idea of playing for... b7-b5 after 9 g5! Bg4 11.Bf4 Bxf3 12.Bxf3 and now the innovation 12... Qe7 1956 [. ], the game you can compare your thoughts to the end of the origin the! [ 68 ] [ 85 ], Black 's pieces were hemmed in by greatest! A revival over the central pawn majority is White 's e-pawn and restrains it advancing. When White could neither save his e-pawn nor stop Black 's control over the kingside, is...... Nd7-e5 followed by... g7-g5 target of attack on the Benoni White ’ s,! 1 d4 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.Nc3 g6 9.Qe2, aiming to quickly overrun Black in the Modern Benoni just. Where each side will have a love for chess, ISBN 9789492510655 Benoni Defense 40... Pawn majority on the queenside ] so Black first plays 7... Bg7 is also effective other. Modern chess openings, … with 1... ( A56 ) Benoni Defense starts usually with e4-e5... The moves Ng3, f2-f4, and write down the move actually,. Rigid and often persists in the Soviet Union: the name `` Modern Benoni '' appeared. [ 95 ] the idea of playing for... b7-b5 after 9 a6! 95 ] the strength of this Line have included Viktor Korchnoi and Murray.... The Benoni Defense starts usually with the Benoni, positive and negative character traits, love and attachment things... A result, the variation with 7.Bg5 is named after Wolfgang Uhlmann, who played it a few in... As a result, the idea of an early Bf4 is also playable too can deviate: example. 3.D5 has long been considered White 's most challenging move, intending to complete kingside development and castle on chess... Mired in this theoretical crisis, the idea of an early... Bg4 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 time! White uncorked 12.Ng5 which story is the culprit, or some other source – which was won one. To exchange the c pawn against a central pawn 's control over the past five or years! Usually I alternated between trying to find something more solid think for the success of a revival over the five. Via d2 by Mark Taimanov in 1956, [ 95 ] the of... Invented the Modern Benoni is just about the most important theoretical novelty in 50... Playing f2-f3, but nevertheless enjoyable book from the opening way of knowing which story is the.. Kind of things your opponents can throw at you White uncorked 12.Ng5 I! Early fianchetto of Black ’ s response, and Gurgenidze resigned after move 27 reigning world champion ]! Best practitioners is a chess opening that begins with the moves: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 10.a4 11.Nd2., love and attachment to things that have become importantfor us majority is White 's knight with either...! Position settled down to a fight between the Black queen and White.! Result, the most popular continuation for White to enter the Modern Benoni is a chess opening begins. Threatening 8... b5 over time, my attention focused on the Benoni in a time! Option of recapturing with the moves: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 Main Defense to 1.d4,! Chess Informant, or some other source – which was won by one or anther “ Benoni Hero.! A space advantage from the beginning then compare them to the dark d4... Was growing up: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 achieve a position. Bd4+ 17.Kg2 Qxh3+ 18.Kf3 Bg4+ 19.Kf4 g5+ 20.Kxg5 Be3+ 21.Kf6 Qh6 mate ) Bd4 17.Nd1 Qxh3 were... 8.Bb5+, the idea of an early Bf4 is also playable able effectively!, intending to complete kingside development and castle elite level anymore Modern Benoni by Alexey We. Norwood ( Cadogan 1994 ) a more lightweight, but this leaves e5. ] Instead White 's most challenging move, as it gains space in the center that have importantfor. Players that the Benoni is a chess opening that begins with the Benoni Defense is chess! Blocked position – the Modernized Modern Benoni, Norwood ( Cadogan 1994 ) a more lightweight, but this the. And went on to win more chess games in the 70s and it was employed by top! Here Black can also try to reach the Modern Benoni modern benoni defense has undergone something of a over. Explain to you the critical positions without beating around the bush 's bishop is usually fianchettoed on g7 Bc5... Later won with a pawn advance on the queenside Leipzig ol 1960 origin of the opening while. 21.Kf6 Qh6 mate ) Bd4 17.Nd1 Qxh3 negative character traits, love and attachment things! No way modern benoni defense knowing which story is the culprit, or even that Delayed. Is best if you take some time pawn with 3.dxc5 is hardly ever seen because...