chessgames.com

Benko 
 
Pal Benko
Number of games in database: 696
Years covered: 1945 to 2008
Current FIDE rating: 2408
Highest rating achieved in database: 2495
Overall record: +192 -179 =315 (50.9%)*
   * Overall winning percentage = (wins+draws/2) / total games
      Based on games in the database; may be incomplete.
      10 exhibition games, odds games, etc. are excluded from this statistic.

MOST PLAYED OPENINGS
With the White pieces:
 English (38) 
    A15 A17 A16 A13 A14
 Sicilian (34) 
    B40 B50 B91 B27 B22
 King's Indian (30) 
    E61 E62 E60 E99 E79
 King's Indian Attack (21) 
    A07 A08
 Queen's Indian (18) 
    E17 E19 E15 E18 E12
 English, 1 c4 e5 (18) 
    A22 A21 A25 A20 A29
With the Black pieces:
 Sicilian (102) 
    B32 B36 B42 B84 B57
 King's Indian (30) 
    E60 E80 E66 E62 E92
 Grunfeld (26) 
    D94 D78 D92 D91 D85
 Caro-Kann (19) 
    B17 B14 B18 B10 B13
 Pirc (17) 
    B09 B08 B07
 English (14) 
    A15 A16 A10 A18 A13
Repertoire Explorer

NOTABLE GAMES: [what is this?]
   Benko vs I A Horowitz, 1968 1-0
   Benko vs Sawayer, 1964 1-0
   M Szigeti vs Benko, 1945 0-1
   Bisguier vs Benko, 1963 0-1
   Bronstein vs Benko, 1949 1/2-1/2
   J Ragan vs Benko, 1974 0-1
   Benko vs Suttles, 1964 1-0
   Benko vs Taimanov, 1960 1-0
   Benko vs Keres, 1962 1-0
   Tal vs Benko, 1959 1/2-1/2

GAME COLLECTIONS: [what is this?]
   Wijk aan Zee Hoogovens 1970 by suenteus po 147
   Wijk aan Zee Hoogovens 1972 by suenteus po 147
   Wijk aan Zee Hoogovens 1969 by suenteus po 147
   US Championship 1958/59 by suenteus po 147
   US Championship 1963/64 by suenteus po 147

Search Sacrifice Explorer for Pal Benko
Search Google® for Pal Benko


PAL BENKO
(born Jul-15-1928) France (citizen of United States of America)

[what is this?]
Pal Benko was born in Amiens, France in 1928. Benko learned chess from his father at the age of 10. He won the Hungarian Championship in 1948, took 3rd in 1950, took 6th in 1951, took 2nd in 1954, and took 3rd in 1955. He became an International Master in 1950. After beginning his chess career in his native country of Hungary, he moved to the United States in on October 17, 1957. The following year, in 1958, he earned the International Grandmaster title by qualifying for the Bled Candidates Tournament. He also qualified in 1962, placing sixth with wins over both Mikhail Tal and Robert James Fischer. He might have qualified again in 1970, but he ceded his place in the Interzonal to Fischer, who went on to win the World Championship two years later. Benko took 4th in the 1959 US Championship, 8th in the 1960 US Championship, 4th in the 1961 US Championship, 9th in the 1962 US Championship, 3rd in the 1963 US Championship, 7th in the 1965 US Championship, 3rd in the 1966/67 US Championship, 4th in the 1968 US Championship, 3rd in the 1969 US Championship, 5th in the 1972 US Championship, 5th in the 1973 US Championship, 2nd in the 1974 US Championship, 14th in the 1975 US Championship, and 9th in the 1978 US Championship. He won the US Open eight times. He was inducted in the Chess Hall of Fame in 1993.

In addition to over-the-board play, Benko is also noted for having left his name on the Benoni variation called the Benko Gambit. Today he still lives in the United States.


 page 1 of 28; games 1-25 of 696  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves Year Event/LocaleOpening
1. M Szigeti vs Benko 0-138 1945 BudapestD44 Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav
2. Feldman vs Benko 0-139 1945 BudapestA18 English, Mikenas-Carls
3. G Barcza vs Benko 0-155 1946 Hungarian ChampionshipsA06 Reti Opening
4. Benko vs V Toth 0-145 1946 HUN-chD43 Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav
5. Benko vs G Szilagyi  1-045 1946 Hungarian ChampionshipB14 Caro-Kann, Panov-Botvinnik Attack
6. Benko vs Szabo  1-046 1947 Hungarian ChampionshipE59 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3, Main line
7. B Tagmann vs Benko ½-½36 1947 CorrespondenceB03 Alekhine's Defense
8. Benko vs Tartakower 0-155 1948 BudapestA53 Old Indian
9. Pirc vs Benko 1-020 1948 JugoslavienD28 Queen's Gambit Accepted, Classical
10. E Gereben vs Benko  ½-½25 1948 Bad GasteinE08 Catalan, Closed
11. E Bakonyi vs Benko  ½-½31 1948 BudapestC20 King's Pawn Game
12. Gligoric vs Benko 1-034 1948 BudapestE28 Nimzo-Indian, Samisch Variation
13. Benko vs Bronstein ½-½106 1949 Budapest (Hungary)D75 Neo-Grunfeld, 6.cd Nxd5, 7.O-O c5, 8.dxc5
14. Simagin vs Benko 1-042 1949 Budapest (Hungary)B30 Sicilian
15. Flohr vs Benko  1-023 1949 Budapest (Hungary)D08 Queen's Gambit Declined, Albin Counter Gambit
16. Benko vs Kotov  ½-½51 1949 MatchA54 Old Indian, Ukrainian Variation, 4.Nf3
17. Kotov vs Benko  ½-½41 1949 BudapestE26 Nimzo-Indian, Samisch
18. Benko vs Smyslov  0-135 1949 14, Budapest-MoscowD76 Neo-Grunfeld, 6.cd Nxd5, 7.O-O Nb6
19. Benko vs Lilienthal 1-072 1949 BudapestA55 Old Indian, Main line
20. Smyslov vs Benko  ½-½28 1949 06, BudapestE21 Nimzo-Indian, Three Knights
21. Ragozin vs Benko  ½-½39 1949 Budapest (Hungary)B83 Sicilian
22. Bronstein vs Benko ½-½76 1949 Budapest (Hungary)B20 Sicilian
23. Lilienthal vs Benko  ½-½66 1949 Budapest-MoscowE26 Nimzo-Indian, Samisch
24. Benko vs Simagin  ½-½20 1949 Budapest (Hungary)A07 King's Indian Attack
25. Benko vs Flohr  ½-½33 1949 Budapest (Hungary)A22 English
 page 1 of 28; games 1-25 of 696  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2) | Benko wins | Benko loses  
 

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 6 OF 6 ·  Later Kibitzing >
Jul-20-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  Phony Benoni: <ravel5184: Why is the "Benko Gambit" called what it is? http://www.chessgames.com/perl/ches... http://www.chessgames.com/perl/ches...;

I think these links show why it's called the Benko Gambit. The first lists all Benko Gambits in the database; out of nearly 3000, only about 20 were played before Benko took up the opening.

The second links shows the database has only 11 Benko Gambits played by Benko. But if you look at Benko's games after he began to play the gambit, you find that they were almost exclusively 1.e4 or 1.c4 openings. Few people gave him a chance to play the gambit.

Aug-05-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  vonKrolock: greetings Pal, and also <boldog szďż˝letďż˝snapot> !!
Aug-05-08   RookFile: <ravel5184: Why is the "Benko Gambit" called what it is? >

Oh dear. I remember Chess Life articles, where Benko was practically the only guy talking about this variation. Now it's all the rage, of course.

Aug-05-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  keypusher: <Ravel 5184>

From an old <acirce> post re the alternate name, the Volga Gambit:

<By the way where does the name “Volga Gambit” come from? In the second edition of the magazine “Schachmaty in USSR” 1946, there was an article by B. Argunow from Kuybyschew at the Volga river on the gambit continuation 3...b5!?. That's why the term “Volga Gambit” was suggested and found its way into Russian chess literature. This name was taken over by many countries in Europe. At the end of the sixties this idea was also promoted Pal Benko, the Hungarian grandmaster living in the USA, who provided many new suggestions. This is the reason why in chess literature, particularly in the English speaking countries, one can also find the term “Benko Gambit”.>

http://www.chesscentral.com/softwar...

See also #3957 (scroll down) in Chess Notes suggesting the Swedes helped develop in in the 1920s.

http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/...

A number of openings have different names in the East than the West.

Aug-27-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  whiteshark: 'Quote of the Day' as <Stonehenge> posted on Sep-18-07. Nuttin to add. :D
Aug-27-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  brankat: <whiteshark> Check my forum for a bit of a discussion on Benko's quote :-)
Aug-28-08   myschkin: . . .

Photos:

http://www.chessville.com/images/Be...

http://www.chessbase.com/news/2008/...

http://www.chessbase.com/news/2008/...

http://www.friisland.de/Rockblog/wp...

Nov-24-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  talisman: well there's a nice tal photo.we could use it on the tal page.avatar too.
Apr-03-09   Dredge Rivers: Sorry, Pal!
Jun-14-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  vonKrolock: Benkö: <"My favorite letter-problem memory took place on Max Euwe seventy-seventh birthday in Brazil. The highlight of the party was a fancy cake that was topped with two frosting chessboards. The positions on the chessboards, made of chocolate pieces, featured Euwe's monogram (an "M-problem" and an "E-problem") in the form of two letter problems. The crowd loved the effect, but Euwe was put on the spot when my conditions were announced: he had to solve both problems before anyone could eat the cake. Max solved the "M" problem very quickly but, for whatever reason, he got stuck on the "E" problem which consists of two Queen sacrifices. After a while, I had to whisper the solutions so that he could avoid embarassment. Then we all devoured the cake! Can you solve them before the candles go out?!"> This passage from Benkö & Silman's <"Pal Benko: My Life, Games and Compositions"> is quoted (with the diagrams of both 'M' and 'E' letters) in G. K. Ware's article http://main.uschess.org/content/vie...
Jul-15-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  brankat: Happy Birthday GM Benko!
Jul-15-09   arman07: Happy brthday
Jul-15-09   Katu: I once seen him in 2008 when he performed a live analysis of his win against Bobby Fischer. He did not need a scoresheet even though it was an (approx.) 50 year old game!
Jul-15-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  Peligroso Patzer: <Katu: I once seen him in 2008 when he performed a live analysis of his win against Bobby Fischer. He did not need a scoresheet even though it was an (approx.) 50 year old game!>

I suspect he had been over that game a few times in the interval.

Jul-15-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  wordfunph: Happy Birthday to one of the colorful GMs in the history of chess...GM Pal Benko!
Jul-15-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  vonKrolock: He can perform some of his famous wins, then show some unique task in composition -all this from memory- and still crush you in a pair of friendly blitz games...

(quoting myself from another cg.com post):

<In the past Loyd himself had developed sometimes schemes already pioneered by others (like with the so called Excelsior) but always with a decisive increment in idea and (or) in form. With the <Organ Pipes>, it's a scheme that arrived to be showed in various contexts by composers from time to time, but during some decades the <'double frontal Organ Pipes'> was considered something impossible to reach in a two-mover - This until Pal Benko came with:

Pál Benkö
"Magyar Sakkélet" 1974
1th Prize


click for larger view

White to play and mate in two #2
When he showed us this one, his comment was: <<"They> said before that this was impossible... what they overlooked, was the discovered mate here, look..." (taking the e5 pawn with one hand, and the d3 pawn with the other, and directing both to e4) - It's evident whom with 'THEY' he meant - the <carefull critics>, as Loyd would say :)>

I got the lasting impression that he was so proud of such an achievement in the Problem field, as he was of his wins over the board

a tempo: <Feliz Aniversário!!>

Jul-15-09   WhiteRook48: happy 81st birthday!
Jul-15-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  fm avari viraf: I'm a great fan of Pal Benko. His innovative Benko Gambit was a rage one time & I won many many games with it. Happy Birthday my daer old Pal & May God Shower His Divine Blessings Upon You! It's party to-night.
Aug-05-09   laskereshevsky: I saw him same days ago, he looks much younger then 81.....
Aug-05-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  HeMateMe: Didn't Fischer win an interesting game against Benko in a US championship, where he kept the f file blocked by sacking a Bishop, because there was an unpreventable mate on the long diagonal?

The games been analysed and reprinted many times. I think it was Benko, not sure.

Aug-06-09   AnalyzeThis: Fischer and Benko actually had a lot of interesting games. Benko has nothing to be ashamed of, not many can say that they beat Fischer in even 1 game of chess, let alone 3.
Aug-06-09   laskereshevsky: <HeMateMe> I think U r reffering to this game:

Fischer vs Benko, 1963

Only, Fischer offered the sacrifice of the R, and not of the B threating a mate in h7.

Diagram after the black move 18...Pxd4


click for larger view

19.Rf6!


click for larger view

Aug-20-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  Benzol: I've just got hold of "Pal Benko : My Life, Games and Compositions".

In it it was great to see photos from Curacao 1962 when Fischer visited Tal in hospital. Fischer is dressed in a suit and Tal is naturally dressed in pyjamas. There is a chess set on the bed on which Tal is laying and it looks like they may have played or analysed together. Seeing these shots it's sad to think they're both gone now.

Aug-20-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  HeMateMe: In one account of the visit, supposedly Fischer had to 'sneak' the chess set in, as Tal was not supposed to encounter any stress while mending.
Sep-10-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  Caissanist: Chessgames.com only has a small fraction of Benko's tournament games, probably no more than 25%. During the sixties and seventies, he played mostly in open swiss tournaments in the USA--I would imagine that he played at least 100 games a year in those events, including a great many Benko Gambits. Practically none of those games are in this database.
Jump directly to page #    (enter number from 1 to 6)
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 6 OF 6 ·  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 player 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.
Spot an error? Please suggest your correction and help us eliminate database mistakes!


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