chessgames.com
Benoni Defense (A56)
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5

Number of games in database: 2059
Years covered: 1895 to 2010
Overall record:
   White wins 39.0%
   Black wins 29.6%
   Draws 31.4%

Popularity graph, by decade

Explore this opening  |  Search for sacrifices in this opening.
PRACTITIONERS
With the White Pieces With the Black Pieces
Svetozar Gligoric  33 games
Viktor Korchnoi  19 games
Vlastimil Hort  16 games
Dragoljub Velimirovic  73 games
Florin Gheorghiu  25 games
Alexey Suetin  24 games
NOTABLE GAMES [what is this?]
White Wins Black Wins
I Nei vs Petrosian, 1960
Kasparov vs Rachels, 1988
Spassky vs Fischer, 1992
Spassky vs Fischer, 1992
Taimanov vs Bronstein, 1953
Timman vs Tal, 1973
<< previous chapter next chapter >>

 page 1 of 83; games 1-25 of 2,059  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves Year Event/LocaleOpening
1. Steinitz vs Tinsley 1-042 1895 Hastings (England)A56 Benoni Defense
2. W Rutherford vs Lasker  1-034 1895 GBR tour simA56 Benoni Defense
3. Burn vs Blackburne ½-½48 1898 ViennaA56 Benoni Defense
4. Burn vs Chigorin 1-034 1898 ViennaA56 Benoni Defense
5. Marshall vs Schlechter ½-½68 1911 San SebastianA56 Benoni Defense
6. M Lowtzky vs Duras  1-027 1912 Bad Pistyan it, CZEA56 Benoni Defense
7. Euwe vs Samisch 1-049 1921 BudapestA56 Benoni Defense
8. Euwe vs Samisch 1-048 1921 BudapestA56 Benoni Defense
9. A Becker vs Gruenfeld  1-042 1921 Vienna m3A56 Benoni Defense
10. Rubinstein vs J Blake  1-042 1922 Hastings 2223A56 Benoni Defense
11. A Becker vs Opocensky  ½-½70 1923 ViennaA56 Benoni Defense
12. Alekhine vs D H Mufridge 1-021 1924 New YorkA56 Benoni Defense
13. P F Johner vs Mieses  1-035 1924 BerlinA56 Benoni Defense
14. K Havasi vs Z von Balla  ½-½51 1928 BudapestA56 Benoni Defense
15. Capablanca vs Marshall 1-046 1928 TageblattA56 Benoni Defense
16. E Klein vs L Reich  1-065 1930 Gyor it, HUNA56 Benoni Defense
17. G A Thomas vs Menchik 1-046 1934 HastingsA56 Benoni Defense
18. J Dobias vs Opocensky 0-132 1934 Kautsky mem 9thA56 Benoni Defense
19. Ragozin vs Menchik  1-027 1935 Moscow (Russia)A56 Benoni Defense
20. F Bohatirchuk vs Menchik ½-½31 1935 MoscowA56 Benoni Defense
21. G A Thomas vs Menchik  1-046 1935 Hastings 3435A56 Benoni Defense
22. Roedl vs L Engels  ½-½44 1936 DresdenA56 Benoni Defense
23. Lilienthal vs Riumin  ½-½32 1936 MoscowA56 Benoni Defense
24. Fine vs Stahlberg  1-028 1937 Match, Goteborg (Sweden)A56 Benoni Defense
25. Keres vs Hromadka 1-036 1937 Prague (Czech Republic)A56 Benoni Defense
 page 1 of 83; games 1-25 of 2,059  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)  
 

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 5 OF 5 ·  Later Kibitzing >
Oct-23-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  AgentRgent: <refutor: IMHO, it's done because the nimzo is strong v. 3.Nc3 and the taimanov is strong v. the benoni...hence playing 3.Nc3 Bb4 and 3.Nf3 c5 kills two birds> Nail hit on head! Film at 11!
Oct-24-06   soughzin: I suppose for the big time GMS having multiple defenses is doable(although I still see more QIDs than benoni's,and it "feels" more like a nimzo) but for the club player I just don't see the point in the nimzo/benoni combo unless to add variety or fun into your openings. Not that it's silly or unsound or something, just not what I would personally play.

Maybe a benoni-er will desperately want to play the benoni but dreads the taimanov so he/she Must play something else to Nc3. Or maybe someone Hates the QID,likes the benoni,and Loves the nimzo(not likely). Now IF one can play the Hromadka variation with no move order setback it you can kill 2 birds with 1 stone with the benoni instead of two and you always have the nimzo/QID option which is say 1.5 stones heh.

Perhaps we should try to delve into the Hromadka a little and see how well black can really avoid the taimanov without adverse side affects. I'm sure a few of you out there could educate me as I'm a little green on the benoni but I'm interested on both white and black sides.

Oct-25-06   soughzin: Ok here's my own feeble attempts at avoiding the Taimanov. 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 g6 4.Nc3 d6 5.e4 e6! (It seemed that the longer black delayed e6 the more potent dxe became)

Now with 6.Nf3 exd5 7.cxd5 we're back to the mainlines with no Taimanov. White also has the option of 7.exd5 and Nxd5 but I'm not sure how to evaluate these. There are no immediate tactical problems but it's beyond me to know if they're positionally suspect.

White can try 6.f4 hoping for the Taimanov but black can play 6...Bg7 (7dxe doesn't look as strong as in other cases I'll get to later) and castle,transposing into the KID 4 pawns attack most likely, which is not to be feared if you know your stuff.

6.dxe6 Black has Bxe6 and fxe6. Bxe6 brings something like a strange hybrid sveshnikov type position. fxe6 white has 7. e5 dxe5 8.Qxd8 Kxd8 but that might not be best. Since 7.Nf3 is a pretty good move for white,maybe white should play 5.Nf3 instead of e4 and retain the option of 7.e4 or another move.

5.Nf3 e6! 6. dxe6 Bxe6 7.Ng5 or Qb3. Now can black afford to trade the bishop? I think I'll take the easy way out again and say "unclear".

Maybe I'll leave the computer on tonight and let it think about it because I don't know what to think about these positions even with a little computer help. My best guess so far would be that these aren't wonderful for black but they are playable, and less dangerous than the Taimanov.

Feb-23-08   Jim Bartle: Anyone know why it's called the Benoni? The only other Benoni I know is a town in South Africa (revered as the birthplace of Charlize Theron).
Feb-23-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  Open Defence: well I read that Benoni meant "Born from sadness
" (maybe in Yiddish?) and that the inventor of this opening suffered from depression...
Aug-11-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  biglo: For an answer read the very first post on page 1
Feb-20-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  Pyrrhus: Actually, Benoni means son of sorrow in Hebrew. It refers to the weak d6 pawn.
Feb-20-09   chessman95: The Czech Benoni Defense (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e5) is an interesting option for black. I like the pawn formation here: it reminds me of the feared Maroczy Bind in the Sicilian. Haven't seen it played much, and most players probably don't know how to play it correctly, so every once in a while I use it as my "anti-Benoni" opening.
Mar-14-09   Nuncle: I enjoy the benoni-style positions I sometimes get by transposition from the king's indian (i.e. in the saemisch if white meets ...c5 with d5), and was thinking about switching over to the Modern Benoni as my main defence, but the Taimanov just looks nasty to me.
Apr-08-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  parisattack: <Nuncle: I enjoy the benoni-style positions I sometimes get by transposition from the king's indian (i.e. in the saemisch if white meets ...c5 with d5), and was thinking about switching over to the Modern Benoni as my main defence, but the Taimanov just looks nasty to me.>

The Taimanov very tough to meet! I loved the Benoni formations but had no success playing them. Everytime I think about trying again, I play over Gligoric's games as White against it - he was a real Benoni killer!

The Franco-Benoni hybrids might have some unmined possibilities - avoiding an early ...Nf6.

Aug-11-09   SirChrislov: SirChrislov - shibumi64
chess.com rated correspondence game
Old Benoni?

1.d4 c5
2.Nf3 cxd4
3.e3 Nf6
4.exd4 d5
5.Bg5 h6
6.Bh4 e6
7.Bd3 Be7
8.c3 0-0
9.Nbd2 Nc6
10.Qc2 Kh8
11.0-0-0
blk to move. current position:


click for larger view

Aug-12-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  An Englishman: Good Evening: <SirChrislov>, what you have could have arisen from the Colle after 1.d4,d5; 2.Nf3,c5; 3.e3,cxd5; 4.exd5,Nf6, but this is definitely a rare sideline, and you probably left book a few moves ago.
Aug-12-09   SirChrislov: Good Evening there, Sir.<Englishman> Yes, an obscure sideline indeed. actually, the move order 1.d4 c5 2.Nf3 cxd4 3.e3 was a "no name" gambit, and has very recently been baptized with the name 'Chrislov Gambit'. It is true that it can also be reached via the Colle.

The intended plan of my system(assuming blk accepts the gambit) is to play a K-side fianchetto, with Nc3(or to d2) Qe2, 0-0-0, and Rhe1 with tremendous pressure down the half-open central files. wht has enough compensation for the gambited unit, in my humble opinion. but only a test at the upper levels will prove/unprove this point.

Aug-12-09   WhiteRook48: 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 favors black
Aug-12-09   SirChrislov: Update on:
SirChrislov - shibumi64
Chrislov Gambit Declined

11... Na5
12.Ne5 latest position:


click for larger view

black to move.

Aug-12-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  MaxxLange: <Franco-Benoni> I've been plaing against a friend who does this. I've had good results with either 1 e4 e6 2 d4 c5 3 d5 or with 3 Nf3, offering a transposition to the Sicilian

the old theory books say that White is positionally better after 3 d5, but it isn't so easy to prove that and convert in a real game. It's a decent opening and totally playable for Black under 2200 level

Aug-12-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  MaxxLange: <WhiteRook48> please post your analysis!
Aug-12-09   SirChrislov: <MaxxLange to WhiteRook48: please post your analysis!> I doubt he'll do that. It's not his style. If you look at his kibitzes(7765 total!!), he's all about short comments and simple remarks, with no follow-up or extension to back up his statements.
Aug-12-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  MaxxLange: maybe he is right...I hope so!
Aug-12-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  seagull1756: I personally go into benoni for one very simple reason: I hate playing Catalan as black, it is just too passive for my taste...
Aug-15-09   SirChrislov: SirChrislov - shibumi64

12... Qc7
13.Ndf3 Nc4
14.Bg3 Bd6
15.h4 ...blk to move


click for larger view

Aug-15-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  parisattack: <MaxxLange: <Franco-Benoni> I've been plaing against a friend who does this. I've had good results with either 1 e4 e6 2 d4 c5 3 d5 or with 3 Nf3, offering a transposition to the Sicilian the old theory books say that White is positionally better after 3 d5, but it isn't so easy to prove that and convert in a real game. It's a decent opening and totally playable for Black under 2200 level.>

Black's position is very loose early in the Franco-Benoni - but he has lots of flexibility/plans and - something I like in defenses - opportunities to play on both/either side of the board.

Two books in English on it - The Barcza-Larsen Defense by Fields and Franco-Benoni by Soltis. Gunderdam's two books on unusual openings in German covers it as does the German periodical Randspringer. Quite a lot of unminded territory with respect to plans, move orders, placement of the KN, hitting with ...f5 and such.

You should be happy with a Kan-like Sicilian as black - although black can keep improvising for awhile after 3. Nf3, if not.

Apr-01-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  parisattack: Benoni Books

Not included are the opening series books with a volume or shared volume about the Benoni – although some of those are quite good such as Euwe’s Indian Specialties. Too bad Schwarz did not do a Benoni tome!

Benko not included unless with a pure Benoni book, nor 'Anglo-Benoni' declined sans d5.

Nor am I including the dreadful two Starting Out Benoni volumes.

I am including volumes on the Franco-Barcza-Larsen Benoni as I think it is a sleeper.

Modern Benoni Zeuthen
Modern Benoni Dynamics Zeuthen
Wing Gambit Benoni Zeuthen
Benoni for the Tournament Player Nunn
The Gambit Guide to the Modern Benoni Watson
Dangerous Weapons: The Benoni and Benko Palliser,Et Al Modern Benoni for Black Grefe
The Ben-oni Defence Gelenczei
The Modern Benoni Revealed Palliser
The Complete Benoni Psakhis
The Modern Benoni Kinsman
The Modern Benoni Norwood
Mastering the Benko and Benoni Bellin
Chess Explained: The Modern Benoni Franco
The Benoni Hartston
Beating the King’ Indian and Benoni Vaisser
Modern Benoni: Three Pawn Attack Konikowski
Modern Benoni: Four Pawn Attack Konikowski
Taimanov and Knights Tour Benoni Watson
The Benoni Defence David Holmes (translator)
Die Komplette Moderne Benoni-Verteidigung (3 volumes) Schneider The Barcza-Larsen Defense Fields Franco-Benoni Defence Soltis

Apr-10-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  Shams: <parisattack> what can you tell me about the Czech Benoni?
Apr-10-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  parisattack: The Benoni by Hartston and the Ben-Oni by Gelenczei each have a section devoted to it. I think Gelenczei covers both the Classical (no early c4 for White) and the Czech.

My favorite Czech Benoni is Polugaevsky-Stein, 1965.

It appears to be making a modest come-back; I've seen 3-4 games with it in international tournaments this year.

Jump directly to page #    (enter number from 1 to 5)
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 5 OF 5 ·  Later Kibitzing >
NOTE: You need to pick a username and password to post a reply. Getting your account takes less than a minute, totally anonymous, and 100% free--plus, it entitles you to features otherwise unavailable. Pick your username now and join the chessgames community!
If you already have an account, you should login now.
Please observe our posting guidelines:
  1. No obscene, racist, sexist, or profane language.
  2. No spamming, advertising, or duplicating posts.
  3. No personal attacks against other users.
  4. Nothing in violation of United States law.
Blow the Whistle See something which violates our rules? Blow the whistle and inform an administrator.


NOTE: Keep all discussion on the topic of this page. This forum is for this specific opening and nothing else. If you want to discuss chess in general, or this site, you might try the Kibitzer's Café.
Messages posted by Chessgames members do not necessarily represent the views of Chessgames.com, its employees, or sponsors.


home | about | login | logout | F.A.Q. | your profile | preferences | Premium Membership | Kibitzer's Café | new kibitzing | chessforums | new games | Player Directory | World Chess Championships | Opening Explorer | Guess the Move | Game Collections | ChessBookie Game | Chessgames Challenge | Little ChessPartner | privacy notice | contact us
Copyright 2001-2009, Chessgames.com
Web design & database development by 20/20 Technologies