Want an opening for Black that lets you attack, while offering White no counter-play? 🤔 Sounds too good to be true, but that’s exactly what the Benko Gambit offers. Get instant access to IM Ris’ course on the Benko with 35% off. â–ºhttps://ichs.co/2GKhawV
The Benko Gambit (also known as the Volga Gambit) is one of the most attractive chess openings for Black against 1.d4. Why? Because it’s a special kind of gambit which most club players rated below 2100 are unable to deal with.
In the Benko Gambit, Black does not sacrifice a pawn for tactical counter-chances and a lead in development but for positional reasons.
Black sacrifices a pawn very early in the opening to obtain active piece play and long-lasting positional compensation in the form of the half-open a- and b-files.
From a practical point of view, White’s position is extremely difficult to play. For the White player, it requires a huge amount of deep opening preparation and positional understanding to prove anything against the Benko Gambit.
The Benko Gambit: The Ultimate Chess Opening GuideThe Benko Gambit starts with the moves 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5!? (see the diagram on the right).
This opening has been played by Super-Grandmasters such as Carlsen, Kasparov, Anand, Topalov, Ivanchuk, Bologan, Adams and Shirov, and is very dangerous to play against.
The Benko Gambit is one of these openings that does not get the attention it deserves, mainly because engines favor White with his extra pawn.
The Benko Gambit is one of the best openings for club players, and you should consider giving it a try to expand your horizons. Black sacrifices a pawn very early to generate long-term counterplay. He builds up a large amount of pressure on the queenside in this opening, forcing White to be very careful in the way that he responds.
It’s key to notice that this his gambit is very unique as Black is not really trying to gain immediate tactical counterplay in the center, but rather wants to play for static pressure on the queenside via the open a- and b-file.
However, diving deeper into the opening, even the strongest engines can’t show a clear way for White to get an advantage.
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