Benoni Analysis Center.

Kaidanov - deFirmian, rd. 3. 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 e6 4. Nc3 exd5 5. cxd5 d6 6. Nf3 g6 7. g3 Bg7 8. Bg20-0 9. 0-0 Nbd7 10. h3 A useful comparison can be made between this game and D. Gurevich -  deFirmian, U.S. Champ. 1994, which featured 10 Bf4 Qe7 11 h3 h6 (also reasonable is 11 ... Nh5 with the distinction that after 12 Bg5, 12 ... f6 is good because after 13 Bd2 f5 can be played as in Stohl - Enders, Erfurt 1994, as White has not gotten e2-e4 in yet) 12 e4 g5 13 Bd2 Rb8 and Black has dispensed with the preparatory move ... a7-a6. a6 11. Bf4 Qe7 12. e4 h6  deFirmian varies from Vaganian - Sax, Rotterdam 1989, which featured 12  ... Nh5 13 Bg5 Bf6 14 Bh6 Ng7 15 Re1 b5 16 Kh2 b4 with chances for both sides. 13. Re1 Ne8 14. h4 Rb8 15. Qd2 Both sides have chances; 1/2-1/2 in 44. Kaidanov - Shabalov, rd. 5. 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 c5 4. d5 exd5 5. cxd5 d6 6. Nc3 g6 7. Bg2 Bg7 8. Nf3O-O 9. O-O Na6 10. Nd2 Nc7 11. Nc4 Nfe8 12. Bf4 f5  At this year's Chicago Open, D. Gurevich tried 12 ... b5 here, but had  real problems after 13 Na5. 13. a4 b6 14. Rc1 Ba6 15. b3b5 16. axb5 Nxb5 17. Nxb5 Bxb5 18. e4 fxe4 19. Bxe4 a5 20. Re1 a4  Shabalov's methodical play has worked out very well, but 1-0 in 47.

The basic Benoni pawn structure arises after 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 e6 4 Nc3 exd5 5 exd5. Then after 5 ... d6 White has many choices -

• 6 e4 g6 7 f4 Bg7 8 Bb5+ or 8 e5 (8Bb5+ gets two thumbs up!)
• 6 Nf3 g6 7 Bf4
• 6 Nf3 g6 7 e4 Bg7 8 Be2
• 6 Nf3 g6 7 e4 Bg7 8 h3 O-O 9 Bd3
• 6 Nf3 g6 7 g3
• 6 Nf3 g6 7 Nd2
• 6 Nf3 g6 7 Bg5

Many Benoni players, for example American GM Nick deFirmian, use this move order: 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6; then if 3 Nc3 Bb4 (the Nimzo-Indian, not the Benoni!) or if 3 Nf3 c5 (the Benoni). This is because of great respect for the power of the White system listed above with f2-f4 and Bf1-b5+. Using this move order, Black only enters the Benoni if White is precluded from playing this line because his knight is already on f3!

Kaidanov - gurevich 1996 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 c5 4.d5 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.Nc3 g6 7.Nf3 Bg7 8.Bg2 0-0 9.0-0 Na6 10.Nd2  Not very effective here is 10 e4 Bg4 11 h3 Bxf3 12 Qxf3 Nd7 as in Rashkovsky - Kotsur, Kurgan, 1993, because of Black's easy counterplay and well-placed minor pieces. Nc7  Strange things happened in Sherbakov - Nun, after 10 ... b6!? 11 Nxd6 Ba6?! (probably better is 11 ... Qxd6 12 Bf4 Qd7 13 d6 Ne6 14 Bxa8 Nxf4 15 gxf4 Qg4+ 16 Bg2 Qxf4, and nothing is clear) 12 Qa4!? Qxd6 13 Bf4 Qd7 14 Qxd7 Nxd7 15 Bxc7 with better chances for White. 11.Nc4 Nfe8 12.e4!  If White can do this, then the whole line with 9 ... Na6 is ready for the trash heap. In Todorov - Solozhenkin, Cappelle Open, 1994, 12 a4 b6 13 Qd2 (or 13 Qc2 f5, Sherbakov - Emms, Hastings 1993) Ba6 14 b3 transpired. b5 13.Na5 b4  After this move, c5 becomes a target in lines where White breaks with e4-e5. A big improvement here might be 13 ... Qd7!! which prepares to meet 14 Nc6 with 14 ... Bb7. Or if 14 a3, then Black can just go about his business with 14 ... Ba6 15 Re1 Bd4 followed by ... Ne8-g7. 14.Nc6 Qd7 15.Na4 Ba6 16.Re1 Bb5  Losing time with the bishop, but Gurevich's idea is that the pressure against a4 will forestall the break e4-e5. 17.a3!  A nice shot, which necessitates the following exchange if Black wants to keep his pawn structure intact. Bxa4 18.Qxa4 a5 19.Qb3 Nf6 20.e5 Rae8 21.axb4 axb4 22.Be3!  Now things are really starting to fall apart for Black. Ng4 23.Bh3 c4 24.Qxb4 dxe5 25.Ra7 Nxd5  1 - 0