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Benoni Defense (A56)
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5

Number of games in database: 1975
Years covered: 1895 to 2009
Overall record:
   White wins 38.7%
   Black wins 29.5%
   Draws 31.8%

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
Borislav Ivkov  24 games
NOTABLE GAMES [what is this?]
White Wins Black Wins
Kasparov vs Rachels, 1988
Kavalek vs Matulovic, 1966
Spassky vs Fischer, 1992
Spassky vs Fischer, 1992
V Artsukevich vs Korchnoi, 1953
Taimanov vs Bronstein, 1953
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 page 1 of 79; games 1-25 of 1,975  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. Rubinstein vs J Blake  1-042 1922 Hastings 2223A56 Benoni Defense
10. A Becker vs Opocensky  ½-½70 1923 ViennaA56 Benoni Defense
11. Alekhine vs D H Mufridge 1-021 1924 New YorkA56 Benoni Defense
12. P F Johner vs Mieses  1-035 1924 BerlinA56 Benoni Defense
13. K Havasi vs Z von Balla  ½-½51 1928 BudapestA56 Benoni Defense
14. Capablanca vs Marshall 1-046 1928 TageblattA56 Benoni Defense
15. E Klein vs L Reich  1-065 1930 Gyor it, HUNA56 Benoni Defense
16. G A Thomas vs Menchik 1-046 1934 HastingsA56 Benoni Defense
17. J Dobias vs Opocensky 0-132 1934 Kautsky mem 9thA56 Benoni Defense
18. Ragozin vs Menchik  1-027 1935 Moscow (Russia)A56 Benoni Defense
19. F Bohatirchuk vs Menchik ½-½31 1935 MoscowA56 Benoni Defense
20. G A Thomas vs Menchik  1-046 1935 Hastings 3435A56 Benoni Defense
21. Roedl vs L Engels  ½-½44 1936 DresdenA56 Benoni Defense
22. Lilienthal vs Riumin  ½-½32 1936 MoscowA56 Benoni Defense
23. Fine vs Stahlberg  1-028 1937 Match, Goteborg (Sweden)A56 Benoni Defense
24. Keres vs Hromadka 1-036 1937 Prague (Czech Republic)A56 Benoni Defense
25. K Makarczyk vs L Engels 0-162 1937 Bad SaarowA56 Benoni Defense
 page 1 of 79; games 1-25 of 1,975  PGN Download
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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 5 OF 5 ·  Later Kibitzing >
Oct-23-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  refutor: lots of GMs play the benoni that way...consistency has nothing to do with it...

D Semcesen vs DeFirmian, 2006
D Zoler vs Gelfand, 2006
C Weiss vs T L Petrosian, 2006
Ra Mateo vs I Rogers, 2006
A Korotylev vs Akopian, 2006
P H Nielsen vs Nisipeanu, 2006
V Cmilyte vs Lahno, 2006
M Brodsky vs A Volokitin, 2006
Kiril Georgiev vs Nisipeanu, 2006
Bologan vs Nisipeanu, 2006
Koneru vs I Cheparinov, 2006
Kurajica vs Nisipeanu, 2006
Y Shulman vs Shabalov, 2006
P H Nielsen vs Topalov, 2006

obviously these are not all wins for Black, but it's a popular move order up to the super GM level

Oct-23-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  ganstaman: <refutor> I've never questioned that it's been done and continues to be done. I even think chesspublishing.com has a nimzo/benoni forum (same group of people play them, then). But re-read soughzin's and my posts. We only wonder why it's done, not if it's done.

The main point is that if black wants a Benoni but not the Taimanov, he can go with the Hromadka System, unless that is as flawed as euripides read it is.

Perhaps consistency isn't really worth much?

Oct-23-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  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
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
Premium Chessgames Member
  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
Premium Chessgames Member
  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
Premium Chessgames Member
  SirChrislov: Update on:
SirChrislov - shibumi64
Chrislov Gambit Declined

11... Na5
12.Ne5 latest position:


click for larger view

black to move.

Aug-12-09   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   MaxxLange: <WhiteRook48> please post your analysis!
Aug-12-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  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   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
Premium Chessgames Member
  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.

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