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The Benko Gambit is an amazing countergambit first fully worked out and put into practice by the great Hungarian-American positional player Pal Benko. After 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 b5 -
Position after 3 ... b5
the ideas are as follows: After 4 cxb5 a6 5 bxa6 Black will ultimately obtain
strong pressure on the half-open b- and a-files in conjunction with a powerful fianchettoed bishop on g7. This pressure can be worth a pawn minus even going
into the endgame. These ideas are justified by the pawn chain, wherein White's d4-d5 accedes to a fundamental Black initiative on the queenside in return for a
gain of central space. The Benko Gambit attempts to put these pawn structure theories to work immediately. Also, Black aims to obtain strong pressure on the
a6-f1 diagonal. Necessary for the success of the Benko, after 5 ... g6 6 Nc3 Bxa6, if White wants to support the d5 pawn with the move 7 e4, then he will lose the right to castle after 7 ... Bxf1 Kxf1.
3 critical variations which avoid the dreaded Benko structure:
- 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 b5 4 Nf3
- 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 b5 4 cxb5 a6 5 f3
- 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 b5 4 cxb5 a6 5 e3
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.e3 g6 The modern lines against White's
5 e3 system involve a quick counterattack against the d-pawn with 5 ... Bb7 or 5 ... axb5 6 Bxb5 Bb7 7 Nc3 Qa5, etc. 5 ... g6, ignoring White's 5 e3 system
which both defends the b5 pawn and keeps the White bishop on the f1-b5 diagonal, is an older line which is not very impressive. 6.Nc3 d6 The main line
here runs 6 ... Bg7 7 a4 O-O 8 Nf3 e6 9 dxe6 fxe6 10 Qd6. With the text, Black abandons the idea of counterattacking the d5 pawn. 7.a4 Bg7 8.Bc4 0-0 9.Nge2
e6 10.e4 An interesting and unclear question which runs throughout this game is whether White should (a) take on e6, so as to expose pawn weaknesses in
Black's camp, at the risk that Black will later expand in the center with ... d6-d5, or (b) defend his outpost on d5, risking that Black will get counterplay as White's
pieces will be passively placed. 10...axb5 11.Bxb5 Bb7 12.0-0 Na6 13.Nf4 Qe7 14.Re1 This was a good moment for 14 dxe6 fxe6 15 Re1 with a
tremendous position for White; ... d6-d5 will be very hard for White to get in given the opposition on the king file. 14...Nc7 15.Bc4 Again, 15 dxe6 was
reasonable, though not as strong as before; now Black should respond with 15 ... Nxe6 16 Nxe6 Qxe6; I still prefer this line to White's retreat 15 Bc4. 15...Ba6
16.Qd3 Rfb8 17.Ra3 The b-file pressure is beginning to provide full compensation for the pawn now; it was therefore better to open up a new front
with 17 Bxa6 followed by 18 dxe6, so as to give Black a weak d-pawn. 17...Bxc4 18.Qxc4 Rb4 19.Qa2 exd5 This recovers the pawn. 20.Nfxd5
Nfxd5 21.Nxd5 Nxd5 22.Qxd5 Raxa4 23.Bg5! Qe5 Not 23...Rxe4?? 24.Rxe4 Rxe4 (or 24...Qxe4 25.Qxe4 Rxe4 26.Ra8+ Bf8 27.f3 with the threat of
Bg5-h6, winning.) 25.Ra8+ Bf8 26.Rxf8+! and White wins. 24.Qa8+ Best. This simplifying maneuver at least gets rid of the terribly stong Black bishop on g7.
24...Rxa8 25.Rxa8+ Bf8 26.Bh6 Qe7 27.Rxf8+ Qxf8 28.Bxf8 Kxf8 29.Re2
1/2 - 1/2
Black should play on - the plan is to move the king up and then play ... f7-f5. If
White exchanges off his e-pawn, Black's d-pawn is passed. If White plays f2-f3, then an exchange on e4 will leave the resulting White e4 pawn very weak. |
