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The Benko Gambit
The Benko Gambit
by Bill Wall
The Benko Gambit is a chess opening characterized by the move 3…b5 in the
Benoni Defense (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 is the Modern Benoni) arising after: 1.d4
Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5. The Benko Gambit Accepted (usually, White takes the pawn)
is 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5. The proper Benko Gambit Accepted is 1.d4 Nf6
2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 as opposed to 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 e6, the
Volga Gambit.
The Encyclopedia of Chess Openings (ECO) code for the opening is A57-59. A57 is
for the Benko Gambit Declined after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 and not taking the
gambit pawn. Alternatives in declining the gambit include 4.Nf3, 4.Nd2, 4.a4,
4.Qc2, and 4.Bg5. A58 is 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 bxa6. A59 is 1.d4 Nf6
2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.bxa6 Bxa6 (latest theory is for Black to play 5…g6 first)
6.Nc3 d6 7.e4.
Rudolf Spielmann experimented with an early …b5 in 1922 and 1923, but not
from the normal order of moves. His games went:
Akiba Rubinstein – Rudolf Spielmann, Vienna, 1922
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 c5 3.d5 b5 4.c4 Bb7 5.a4 bxc4 6.Nc3 e6 7.e4 Nxe4 8.Nxe4 exd5
9.Nc3 d4 10.Bxc4 dxc3 11.Bxf7+ Kxf7 12.Qb3+ c4 13.Ne5+ Kg8 14.Qxb7 Nc6
15.Nxc6 Qe8+ 16.Be3 cxb2 17.Qxb2 dxc6 18.O-O Bd6 19.Qc3 Qe6 20.Rac1 Kf7
21.Rfe1 Rhe8 22.Bf4 Qg6 23.Qxc4+ Kf8 24.Bxd6+ Qxd6 25.Re3 Qd5 26.Qxc6 Qxc6
27.Rxc6 Red8 28.g3 Rd7 29.a5 Rb8 30.h4 Rb5 31.a6 Ra5 32.Kg2 Ra2 33.h5 Ra5
34.h6 gxh6 35.Rxh6 Kg7 36.Rc6 Rf5 37.Rec3 Rff7 38.f4 Rfe7 39.Kh3 Rf7 40.R3c5
Kf8 41.Kh4 Ke7 42.Rb5 Kf8 43.f5 Rfe7 44.g4 Kf7 45.Kh5 Re1 46.Kg5 Ree7
47.Rb8 1-0
Karel Opocensky (1892-1975) started playing …b5, but without …a6 in 1934.
World women’s chess champion Vera Menchik also experimented with …b5.
Opocensky was one of the first chess masters to sacrifice the pawn and play …b5
with …a6. He first played in at Podebrady in 1936 against Gideon
Stahlberg. However, his game began as a King’s Indian Defense.
Possibly the first use of the now-standard move order 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5
was Thorvaldsson-Vaitonis, Munich Olympiad 1936.
In Russia, the opening is known as the Volga Gambit. This name is derived from
the Volga River after an article about 3…b5 by the little known Russian chess
player Boris Argunov, published in Shakhmaty v SSSR (Chess in the USSR) in
1946. He analyzed various gambit lines in the magazine, including 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4
c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.bxa6 e6. Argunov lived in Kuibyshev (now Samara) on the
banks of the river Volga and attached that name to the variation 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5
3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.bxa6 e6 (but not 5…a6). The Volga Gambit name was
suggested by Peter Romanovsky (1892-1964).
By 1948, International Masker Erik Lundin and Mijo Udovcic were playing this
opening with some success.
A few rounds later, Lundin improved on the order of the moves, playing a normal
Benko Gambit, and won his game.
Lundin’s play of the Benko Gambit actually decided first place in the
Interzonal. Bronstein and Szabo were tied for 1st place going into the final
round. Szabo lost his game, allowing for Bronstein to take 1st place and Szabo
finished in 2nd place. However, the pawn sacrifice was not convincing enough in
the opening to become fashionable yet.
David Bronstein played …b5 at the Candidates tournament in 1953 and won.
Still, the …b5 sacrifice was rarely adopted in tournaments after this game, as it
was still considered dubious.
Other early players who played 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 before Pal Benko include
Jan Sefc, Boris Milic, Alberic O’Kelly de Galway, John Littlewood, Rolf Martens,
Vladimir Kozomara, Istvan Bilek, Bill Hartston
In 1967, Pal Benko began playing this variation, which later became known as the
Benko Gambit. Benko himself was calling the opening Benoni Countergambit
when he first started playing it. More than anyone else, Benko demonstrated the
playability of 3…b5.
Here are some of Benko’s earliest games with this variation.
Milan Vukic – Pal Benko, Sarajevo 1967
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.bxa6 Bxa6 6.Nc3 d6 7.Nf3 g6 8.g3 Bg7 9.Bg2
O-O 10.O-O Nbd7 11.Qc2 Qb6 12.Rd1 Rfb8 13.Rb1 Ne8 14.Bg5 Qd8 15.Bf1 h6
16.Bd2 Nc7 17.b3 Nb6 18.e4 Bxf1 19.Kxf1 Qd7 20.Re1 Kh7
21.Kg2 e6 22.dxe6 Nxe6 23.Ne2 d5 24.Nf4 dxe4 25.Rxe4 Nd4 26.Nxd4 cxd4 27.a4
Qb7 28.f3 Nxa4 29.Rbe1 Qxb3 30.Qxb3 Rxb3 31.Re7 Rb2 32.R1e2 Nc3
33.Bxc3 dxc3 34.Rxf7 Raa2 35.Kf1 g5 36.Rxg7+ Kxg7 37.Ne6+ Kf6 38.Nd4 Rxe2
39.Nxe2 Ra1+ 0-1
In the 1970s, many top players were playing the Benko Gambit. International
masters and grandmasters included Spassky, Szabo, Gheorghiu, Browne, Diez del
Corral, Schmid, Bilek, Donner, Jansa, Rubinetti, Stein, Knaak, Vasiukov, Levy, Ree,
Alburt, Pytel, Ciocaltea, Tringov, Formanek, De Fotis, Evans, Calvo, Bellon,
Damjanovic, Markland, Stean, Palatnik, Diesen, Webb, Tseshkovsky, Geller,
Lengyel, Miles, Vaganian, Savon, Tukmakov, Parma, Gaprindashvili, and
Fedorowicz.
At the 1972 Chess Olympiad in Skopje, Yugoslavia (Macedonia), the Banko Gambit
was played 16 times. Black scored an amazing 10 wins, 6 draws, and no
losses. This was the most successful opening variation for Black at the
tournament.
More recently, the Benko Gambit has been played by world champion Magnus
Carlsen, Kasparov, Anand, Topalov, Ivanchuk, Caruana Rogers, Khalifman, Adams,
Hodgson, Judit Polgar, and Shirov.
The theory is that Black offers the b5 pawn in return for a slight lead in
development and a superior pawn structure. The main idea is that Black gets
strong positional pressure against White’s queenside. Black tries to get two open
queenside files for rooks and an open diagonal with a fianchettoed bishop after
…g6 and …Bg7. In the endgame, White usually is left with an isolated and weak a-
pawn or b-pawn. Black’s pawns are usually connected and protected, and
therefore strong.
After 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 (Black clears his queenside pawns to
open lines for his pieces) 5.bxa6 (5.b6 and 5.Nc3 are good alternatives) 5…Bxa6
(or 5…g6!), Black has positional compensation in return for the sacrificed
pawn. There is usually a vulnerability with White’s pawns on a2 and b2 which can
be attacked along the a- and b-files, as well as along the a1-h8 and a2-g8
diagonals. White has difficulties in developing due to pressure along the f1-a6
diagonal. With the Black bishop on a6, this usually discourages e4 and the
pressure against b2, which ties down the White bishop on c1.
After 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.bxa6, the latest theory is to play 5…g6
instead of 5…Bxa6 right away. The point of the immediate 5…g6 is that Black
wants to stop White from putting his bishop on b2 by retaining for a move the
option of …Nxa6. Then after the normal 6.Nc3, now Black plays 6…Bxa6 instead
of 6…Bg7, which allows White to play 7.e4 Bxa6 8.Bxa6. White then gets to
exchange bishops on his own terms without losing the right to castle.
For White, he should be looking for opportunities to return the extra pawn in
order to obtain advantages elsewhere. White needs to build up the center or
strong kingside and defend the queenside. White must play very patiently and
cautiously, compared with which Black has the initiative and a positional
advantage as well.
In 1973, Pal Benko wrote Benko Gambit. He pointed out the advantages for Black
in compensation for the sacrificed pawn. He wrote that Black has an advantage in
development. His bishop at a6 (after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.bxa6
Bxa6) hinders White’s efforts to carry out the natural developing move e4. In
addition, a hidden advantage is the fact that Black’s Queen Rook stands on a
useful open file without having had to move.
Benko also pointed out that Black’s pawn structure is compact but not
inflexible. Black can play …e6, …f5, …c4 and freeing the c5 square for a piece and
breaking the defense of White’s Queenside. Black’s pawn sacrifice has also
removed an important White central pawn, which makes the natural White
central breakthrough (e4-e5) more difficult because his Queen pawn will be
undefended.
The Benko Gambit is probably unique in that Black plays a gambit opening and
sacrifices a pawn, and then tries actively to exchange pieces to simplify the
position. The endgame favors Black, even if the gambit pawn has not been
regained.
The variation 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.bxa6 Bxa6 6.Nc3 d6 7.e4 Bxf1
8.Kxf1 is known as the King’s Walk Variation.
The variation 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.bxa6 Bxa6 6.g3 is known as the
Fianchetto System.
The variation 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.e3 is known as the Modern
Variation.
The variation 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.Nc3 axb5 is known as the
Zaitsev Variation.
The variation 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.Nf3 is known as the Anti-Benko Variation.
References:
Bellin and Ponzetto, Mastering the Modern Benoni and the Benko Gambit, 1990
Benko, The Benko Gambit, 1973
Edwards, Power Play! Benko Gambit!, 1993
Emms, Jones, Palliser, Ward, Dangerous Weapons – The Benoni and Benko, 2008
Fedorowicz, The Complete Benko Gambit
Foxy Chess Openings: Benko Gambit Accepted
Gufeld, The Benko Gambit, 1988
Jacobs, Trends: Benko Gambit, 1989
Jacobs, Trends in the Benko Gambit, Volume 2, 1992
Jacobs, Trends in the Benko Gambit, Volume 3, 1996
Jacobs, Winning With the Benko, 1995
Jacobs & Kinsman, The Benko Gambit, 1999
Kalinichenko & Nesis, Wolga-Benko-Gambit (German)
Kasparov, Sergey, The Dynamic Benko Gambit, 2012
Kraai, “Introduction to the Benko Gambit,” chesslecture.com
Martin, The ABC of the Benko Gambit
Martin, Play the Benko Gambit, 2007
McDonald, The Benko Gambit Revealed, 2004
Pedersen, Play the Benko Gambit
Pedersen, The Gambit Guide to the Benko Gambit, 1999
Pinski, The Benko Gambit, 2005
Tay, The Benko Gambit, Move by Move
Wallace, “Bashing the Benko Gambit,” chesslecture.com
Walton, The Benko Gambit, 2002
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