Wednesday, January 11, 2006

Chess: Understanding the Benko Gambit Part I

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 b5 Line



What's the game plan for White?



* Initially, White needs to decide whether to
accept the sacrifice or not.

* If he takes the pawn, Black gets a half open
a- and b-file for counterplay.

* White's basic objective is to break through
with e4-e5 after proper planning. However,
he also needs to attend to Black's queenside
threats, particularly the intrusion of Black's
knights on d3.


* Alternatively, White can refuse the proffered
pawn, in which case Black has only the b-file for
counterplay.

* The game plan is still an e4-e5 breakthrough.

What's the game plan for Black?



* Black gains prolonged activity at the expense
of a pawn.

* If White accepts the pawn, Black aims to:
Move the rook from f8 to b8, advance the c5
pawn to c4 and then get a knight on d3 via
Nd7-c5 or Nf6-g4/d7-e5.

* The Black queen is normally placed on a5
or b6.
However, sometimes it is set on a8, after the
preparatory Ra7. From these posts, the Queen
eyes White's d5 and a2 pawns.

* After positioning all the pieces on their ideal
posts, Black aims for a breakthrough with e7-e6.
If White's pawn is already on e4 sometimes even
f7-f5 is worthy of attention.


Chess: Understanding Benko's Opening

1 d4



Exerts influence over the e5 and c5 squares,
opens up a diagonal for the c1 bishop, and
avails the Queen of the d2 and d3 squares.
Always try to dominate the center!

1 ... Nf6



Instead of using a pawn to command the ever
important center, Black utilizes a minor piece.
The knight eyes d5 and e4, thus deterring White
from playing e2-e4.

2 c4



Challenging Black's claim to d5.

2 ... c5



Attacking White's c4-d4 formation by threatening
to take on d4. The best form of defense is offense!
Also opens up the a5-d8 diagonal for the Queen.

3 d5



White gains space and cramps Black's game in
the process.

3 Nf3
3 dxc5 e6.
3 dxc5 Na6.
3 e3 g6.
3 e3 e6.
3 e3 cxd4.
3 e3 d5.
3 Nc3 cxd4 4 Qxd4 e6.
3 Nc3 cxd4 4 Qxd4 Nc6 5 Qf4.
3 Nc3 cxd4 4 Qxd4 Nc6 5 Qd1.
3 Nc3 cxd4 4 Qxd4 Nc6 5 Qd3.
3 Nc3 cxd4 4 Qxd4 Nc6 5 Qd2 e5.
3 Nc3 cxd4 4 Qxd4 Nc6 5 Qd2 e6 6 e4.
3 Nc3 cxd4 4 Qxd4 Nc6 5 Qd2 e6 6 e3 Qa5.
3 Nc3 cxd4 4 Qxd4 Nc6 5 Qd2 e6 6 e3 Bb4.
3 Nc3 cxd4 4 Qxd4 Nc6 5 Qd2 e6 6 e3 d5 7 cxd5.
3 Nc3 cxd4 4 Qxd4 Nc6 5 Qd2 e6 6 e3 d5 7 Nf3 Ne4.
3 Nc3 cxd4 4 Qxd4 Nc6 5 Qd2 e6 6 e3 d5 7 Nf3 Bb4 8 Bd3.
3 Nc3 cxd4 4 Qxd4 Nc6 5 Qd2 e6 6 e3 d5 7 Nf3 Bb4 8 cxd5.
3 Nc3 cxd4 4 Qxd4 Nc6 5 Qd2 e6 6 e3 d5 7 Nf3 Bb4 8 Qc2 Bxc3+.
3 Nc3 cxd4 4 Qxd4 Nc6 5 Qd2 e6 6 e3 d5 7 Nf3 Bb4 8 Qc2 O-O
9 Bd3.
3 Nc3 cxd4 4 Qxd4 Nc6 5 Qd2 e6 6 e3 d5 7 Nf3 Bb4 8 Qc2 O-O
9 cxd5.
3 Nc3 cxd4 4 Qxd4 Nc6 5 Qd2 e6 6 e3 d5 7 Nf3 Bb4 8 Qc2 O-O
9 Be2 Qa5.
3 Nc3 cxd4 4 Qxd4 Nc6 5 Qd2 e6 6 e3 d5 7 Nf3 Bb4 8 Qc2 O-O
9 Be2 d4.
3 Nc3 cxd4 4 Qxd4 Nc6 5 Qd2 e6 6 e3 d5 7 Nf3 Bb4 8 Qc2 O-O
9 Be2 dxc4 10 Bxc4.
3 Nc3 cxd4 4 Qxd4 Nc6 5 Qd2 e6 6 e3 d5 7 Nf3 Bb4 8 Qc2 O-O
9 Be2 dxc4 10 O-O Ne5.
3 Nc3 cxd4 4 Qxd4 Nc6 5 Qd2 e6 6 e3 d5 7 Nf3 Bb4 8 Qc2 O-O
9 Be2 dxc4 10 O-O Na5.
3 Nc3 cxd4 4 Qxd4 Nc6 5 Qd2 e6 6 e3 d5 7 Nf3 Bb4 8 Qc2 O-O
9 Be2 dxc4 10 O-O Bd7.

3 ... b5



Lashing out at the base of White's c4-d5 set-up,
and initiating the Benko Gambit.


3 ... e6
3 ... g6
3 ... d6
3 ... e5
3 ... a6
3 ... Ne4
3 ... Qa5+


4 cxb5



4 Nf3
4 Nd2
4 Bg5
4 Qc2
4 f3
4 Na3
4 Nc3
4 g3
4 e3

4 e4? Nxe4 5 Qf3 Qa5+ 6 Nd2 Nd6 7 cxb5 Nxb5.
4 e4? Nxe4 5 Qf3 Qa5+ 6 Nd2 Nd6 7 cxb5 a6.
4 e4? Nxe4 5 Qf3 Qa5+ 6 Nd2 Nd6 7 cxb5 Bb7.
4 a4 bxc4 5 Nc3 d6 6 e4 g6 7 Bxc4 Bg7 8 Nf3 O-O 9 O-O Ba6
10 Bb5 Bxb5 11 axb5 Nbd7 12 h3 Ne8 13 Qe2 Nc7 14 Bf4 Nb6
15 Rfd1 Re8 16 Bg3 Qb8 17 Nd2 a6 18 bxa6 Qc8 19 Nb3.
4 a4 bxc4 5 Nc3 d6 6 e4 g6 7 Bxc4 Bg7 8 Nf3 O-O 9 O-O Ba6
10 Bb5 Bxb5 11 axb5 Nbd7 12 h3 Ne8 13 Qe2 Nc7 14 Bf4 Nb6
15 Rfd1 Re8 16 Bg3 Qb8 17 Nd2 a6 18 bxa6 Qc8 19 e5.
4 a4 bxc4 5 Nc3 d6 6 e4 g6 7 Bxc4 Bg7 8 Nf3 O-O 9 O-O Ba6
10 Bb5 Bxb5 11 axb5 Nbd7 12 h3 Ne8 13 Qe2 Nc7 14 Bf4 Nb6
15 Rfd1 Re8 16 Bg3 Qb8 17 Nd2 a6 18 bxa6 Qc8 19 a7.
4 a4 bxc4 5 Nc3 d6 6 e4 g6 7 Bxc4 Bg7 8 Nf3 O-O 9 O-O Ba6
10 Bb5 Bxb5 11 axb5 Nbd7 12 h3 Ne8 13 Qe2 Nc7 14 Bf4 Nb6
15 Rfd1 Re8 16 Bg3 Qb8 17 Nd2 a6 18 bxa6 Nd7.
4 a4 bxc4 5 Nc3 d6 6 e4 g6 7 Bxc4 Bg7 8 Nf3 O-O 9 O-O Ba6
10 Bb5 Bxb5 11 axb5 Nbd7 12 h3 Ne8 13 Qe2 Nc7 14 Bf4 Nb6
15 Rfd1 Re8 16 Bg3 Qb8 17 Nd2 Nd7.
4 a4 bxc4 5 Nc3 d6 6 e4 g6 7 Bxc4 Bg7 8 Nf3 O-O 9 O-O Ba6
10 Bb5 Bxb5 11 axb5 Nbd7 12 h3 Ne8 13 Qe2 Nc7 14 Bf4 Nb6
15 Rfd1 Re8 16 Bg3 Qb8 17 Nd2 Qc8.
4 a4 bxc4 5 Nc3 d6 6 e4 g6 7 Bxc4 Bg7 8 Nf3 O-O 9 O-O Ba6
10 Bb5 Bxb5 11 axb5 Nbd7 12 h3 Ne8 13 Qe2 Nc7 14 Bf4 Nb6
15 Rfd1 Re8 16 Bg3 Qb8 17 e5.
4 a4 bxc4 5 Nc3 d6 6 e4 g6 7 Bxc4 Bg7 8 Nf3 O-O 9 O-O Ba6
10 Bb5 Bxb5 11 axb5 Nbd7 12 h3 Ne8 13 Qe2 Nc7 14 Bf4 Nb6
15 Rfd1 Re8 16 Bg3 Qb8 17 Ra5.
4 a4 bxc4 5 Nc3 d6 6 e4 g6 7 Bxc4 Bg7 8 Nf3 O-O 9 O-O Ba6
10 Bb5 Bxb5 11 axb5 Nbd7 12 h3 Ne8 13 Qe2 Nc7 14 Bf4 Nb6
15 Rfd1 Re8 16 Bg3 Qc8.
4 a4 bxc4 5 Nc3 d6 6 e4 g6 7 Bxc4 Bg7 8 Nf3 O-O 9 O-O Ba6
10 Bb5 Bxb5 11 axb5 Nbd7 12 h3 Ne8 13 Qe2 Nc7 14 Bf4 Nb6
15 Rfd1 Re8 16 Bg3 Nd7.
4 a4 bxc4 5 Nc3 d6 6 e4 g6 7 Bxc4 Bg7 8 Nf3 O-O 9 O-O Ba6
10 Bb5 Bxb5 11 axb5 Nbd7 12 h3 Ne8 13 Qe2 Nc7 14 Bf4 Nb6
15 Rfd1 Re8 16 Ra5.
4 a4 bxc4 5 Nc3 d6 6 e4 g6 7 Bxc4 Bg7 8 Nf3 O-O 9 O-O Ba6
10 Bb5 Bxb5 11 axb5 Nbd7 12 h3 Ne8 13 Qe2 Nc7 14 Bf4 Nb6
15 Rfd1 Re8 16 Ra2.
4 a4 bxc4 5 Nc3 d6 6 e4 g6 7 Bxc4 Bg7 8 Nf3 O-O 9 O-O Ba6
10 Bb5 Bxb5 11 axb5 Nbd7 12 h3 Ne8 13 Qe2 Nc7 14 Bf4 Nb6
15 Rfd1 Nc8 16 Nd2 Rb8 17 Nb3 Qd7.
4 a4 bxc4 5 Nc3 d6 6 e4 g6 7 Bxc4 Bg7 8 Nf3 O-O 9 O-O Ba6
10 Bb5 Bxb5 11 axb5 Nbd7 12 h3 Ne8 13 Re1 Nc7 14 Bf4 a6
15 bxa6.
4 a4 bxc4 5 Nc3 d6 6 e4 g6 7 Bxc4 Bg7 8 Nf3 O-O 9 O-O Ba6
10 Bb5 Bxb5 11 axb5 Nbd7 12 h3 Qc8 13 Qe2 Qb7 14 Nd2 Rfe8
15 Nc4.
4 a4 bxc4 5 Nc3 d6 6 e4 g6 7 Bxc4 Bg7 8 Nf3 O-O 9 O-O Ba6
10 Bb5 Bxb5 11 axb5 Nbd7 12 h3 Qc8 13 Qe2 Re8 14 Bf4 Nb6
15 Rfd1.
4 a4 bxc4 5 Nc3 d6 6 e4 g6 7 Bxc4 Bg7 8 Nf3 O-O 9 O-O Ba6
10 Bb5 Bxb5 11 axb5 Nbd7 12 Qe2 Ne8 13 Rd1 Nc7 14 Bf4 Qb8
15 e5 Re8 16 exd6 exd6 17 Qd3.
4 a4 bxc4 5 Nc3 d6 6 e4 g6 7 Bxc4 Bg7 8 Nf3 O-O 9 O-O Ba6
10 Bb5 Bxb5 11 axb5 a6 12 Qe2 Nfd7 13 Nd2 Ra7 14 Nc4 Nb6
15 Na5 axb5 16 Nxb5 Ra8 17 Ra2 Qd7 18 Be3 f5.
4 a4 bxc4 5 Nc3 d6 6 e4 g6 7 Bxc4 Bg7 8 Nf3 Nfd7 9 O-O Na6
10 Bf4 O-O 11 Qd2 Re8 12 Rfe1 Nc7 13 e5 Nb6 14 Ba2 Ba6
15 Bh6 Nc4 16 Bxc4.
4 a4 bxc4 5 Nc3 d6 6 e4 g6 7 Bxc4 Bg7 8 f4 O-O 9 Nf3 Ba6
10 Bb5 Ne8 11 O-O Nc7 12 f5 Bxb5 13 axb5 Nd7 14 Qe2 Nb6
15 Ng5 h6 16 Nh3.
4 a4 bxc4 5 Nc3 d6 6 e4 g6 7 Bxc4 Bg7 8 f4 O-O 9 Nf3 Ba6
10 Qe2 Bxc4 11 Qxc4 Qb6 12 O-O Nbd7 13 e5 Ne8 14 Re1 Rb8
15 a5.
4 a4 bxc4 5 Nc3 d6 6 e4 g6 7 Bxc4 Bg7 8 f4 O-O 9 Nf3 Ba6
10 Nd2 e6 11 dxe6 fxe6 12 Bxe6+ Kh8 13 Bc4 d5.

4 ... a6



4 ... e6

4 ... Bb7 5 Nc3 e6 6 e4 exd5 7 exd5 d6
8 Nf3 Be7 9 Bc4 O-O 10 O-O Re8 11 Re1
11 ... Nbd7 12 Bg5 Nb6 13 b3 Qd7 14 Qd3
14 ... h6 15 Bh4.
4 ... g6 5 Nc3 a6 6 bxa6 Bxa6 7 e4 Bxf1
8 Kxf1 d6 9 Nf3 Bg7 10 g3 O-O 11 Kg2 Nbd7
12 Re1 Ng4 13 Nd2 Nge5 14 Qe2 Nb6 15 f4
15 ... Ned7 16 a4 Re8 17 a5 e6 18 dxe6
18 ... Rxe6 19 Qf3 Nf6.

5 bxa6



5 b6
5 e3
5 f3
5 Nc3
5 a3
5 Nf3


5 ... g6



5 ... Bxa6
5 ... d6
5 ... e6
5 ... Qb6


6 Nc3



6 g3
6 Nf3
6 a7
6 e3
6 b3
6 e4


6 ... Bxa6



6 ... Bg7

7 e4



7 Nf3
7 g3
7 f4
7 d6
7 h4
7 Qa4


7 ... Bxf1



8 Kxf1



8 ... d6



8 ... Bg7

9 Nf3



9 g3
9 Nge2
9 f4


9 g4 Bg7 10 Kg2 O-O 11 g5 Nfd7 12 h4 Na6 13 h5 Qc7
14 Qg4 Rfb8 15 hxg6 hxg6 16 Qh4 Ne5 17 Nge2 Nd3 18 Rh3.
9 g4 Bg7 10 Kg2 O-O 11 g5 Nh5 12 Nge2 f5 13 gxf6 exf6
14 Ng3 Nxg3 15 hxg3 Nd7 16 Bh6 Bxh6 17 Rxh6 Qb6 18 Qg4 Rf7.
9 g4 Bg7 10 Kg2 Na6 11 g5 Nd7 12 Nge2 Qa5 13 h4 Nc7
14 h5 Rg8 15 hxg6 hxg6 16 Rh3 Nb5 17 Nxb5 Qxb5 18 Nc3 Qb4.
9 g4 Bg7 10 Kg2 Na6 11 g5 Nd7 12 h4 Nb4 13 h5 c4
14 h6 Bxc3 15 bxc3 Nd3 16 Be3 O-O 17 Nf3 e6 18 Ne1 N7e5.
9 g4 Bg7 10 Kg2 Nbd7 11 g5 Nh5 12 Nge2 Qa5 13 Bd2 Ne5
14 b3 Nd3 15 Na4 Qb5 16 Bc3 Ne5 17 h4 O-O 18 Rc1.
9 g4 Bg7 10 g5 Nh5 11 Nge2 Qc8 12 Kg2 Qg4+ 13 Ng3 Nf4+
14 Bxf4 Qxf4 15 h4 O-O 16 Rh3 Na6 17 Nge2 Qg4+ 18 Rg3.
9 g4 Qc8 10 h3 Bg7 11 Kg2 O-O 12 Nge2 Na6 13 Be3 Qb7
14 Qd2 Nc7 15 f3 Rfb8 16 b3 Nb5 17 Rac1.
9 g4 Nbd7 10 Kg2 Qb6 11 g5 Nh5 12 Nge2 h6 13 h4 Bg7
14 Rb1 Ne5 15 b3.
9 g4 h5 10 g5 Nfd7 11 Kg2 Bg7 12 f4 Na6 13 Nf3 O-O
14 Qe2 Qc7 15 Be3 Rfb8 16 Rad1 Qa5.

9 ... Bg7



9 ... Nbd7
9 ... Qc8


10 g3



10 h3
10 Kg1


10 ... O-O



10 ... Nbd7

11 Kg2



11 ... Nbd7



11 ... Qb6
11 ... Na6
11 ... Nfd7
11 ... Qa5


12 Re1



12 h3
12 Qe2


12 ... Qa5



12 ... Ng4
12 ... Ra6
12 ... Qb6
12 ... Ra7
12 ... Nb6
12 ... Qc7
12 ... Qb8


13 h3



13 e5
13 Bf4
13 Bd2
13 Re2
13 Rb1


13 ... Rfb8



13 ... Nb6

14 e5



14 Re2
14 Qc2


14 ... dxe5



15 Nxe5



15 ... Nxe5



16 Rxe5



16 ... Rb7



16 ... Ra7
16 ... Qd8


17 Qf3



17 Qe2
17 d6


17 ... Ne8



18 Re2



18 Re4

18 ... Nd6



19 Ne4



19 ... Nxe4



19 ... Nf5

20 Qxe4



20 ... Qa6



21 a4



21 ... Bf6



22 Qf3



22 ... Rab8



By ChessCoach@care2.com




















1 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have some questions:

1. You said: If he takes the pawn, Black gets a half open a- and b-file for counterplay.
What is the meaning of this counterplay here?

2. You said: However, he also needs to attend to Black's queenside threats, particularly the intrusion of Black's knights on d3.

Why is it a threat when kight is on d3? Whites queen is there for protection?

3. You said: White can refuse the proffered pawn, in which case Black has only the b-file for counterplay?

What does this mean?

4. You said: The game plan is still an e4-e5 breakthrough.

Game plan on e4-e5. But the game has started on d4-c4. So how come the game is on e4,e5? I'm sorry if this is too much? But if you could explain these that will be a real help for us to understand these.

Thanks.

9:17 AM  

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