FoxyChess › Gambits › Benko Gambit
Benko Gambit
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5. Black gives a queenside pawn to open the a- and b-files. The rooks and the bishop on g7 then give Black long-lasting pressure against White's queenside.
The idea
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 gives a queenside pawn for long-term pressure. After 4.cxb5 a6 5.bxa6 Bxa6 Black's rooks come to the open a- and b-files, the bishop on g7 looks down the long diagonal, and White's queenside pawns are under pressure for the whole game. Even the endgame can favour Black.
What happens next
Black's plan is almost the same every time: …Bxa6, …d6, …g6, …Bg7, …O-O, …Nbd7, …Qa5 or …Qb6, with the rooks on a8 and b8. Typical breaks are …e6 against the d5 pawn and …Nb6–c4. There is no hurry; the pressure does the work.
How to play against it
White can accept and give the pawn back later with 5.bxa6 Bxa6 6.Nc3 d6 7.e4 Bxf1 8.Kxf1, then g3 and Kg2, keeping an extra pawn in a solid position. Or decline with 4.Nf3, 4.Nd2 or 5.b6, which keeps the queenside closed and avoids Black's usual play.
A key line
More lines
Benko Gambit Accepted
Benko Gambit Accepted, Fianchetto
Benko Gambit Accepted, 7.e4
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All 9 lines in this gambit
- Benko Gambit
- Benko Gambit Accepted
- Benko Gambit Accepted, Fianchetto
- Benko Gambit Accepted, 7.e4
- Benko Gambit Declined, 4.Nf3
- Benko Gambit Declined, 4.a4
- Benko Gambit Declined, 4.cxb5 a6 5.b6
- Benko Gambit Declined, 5.f3
- Benko Gambit Declined, 5.e3