Benko Gambit & Modern Benoni

Modern Benoni - Four Pawns Attack with 9...Bg4

White builds the e4-f4-d5 centre and prepares e5. Black answers with ...Bg4 and ...Bxf3, removing a defender of e5, then attacks e4 with ...Re8 and prepares ...c4 and ...Nc5.

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.f4 Bg7 8.Nf3 O-O 9.Be2 Bg4 10.O-O Nbd7 11.h3 Bxf3 12.Bxf3 Re8

Move by move

  1. 1.d4 – White occupies the centre with the queen's pawn and frees the c1 bishop. Against 1.d4 this course offers two systems based on ...c5: the Benko and the Benoni.
  2. 1...Nf6 – A flexible move: it controls e4, stops 2.e4 and does not yet reveal the structure. It is better to wait for 2.c4 before ...c5, so that White cannot answer with a comfortable e2-e4.
  3. 2.c4 – White gains space and controls d5. However, the c4 pawn will support a future pawn on d5: it is exactly the target the Benko will hit with ...b5.
  4. 2...c5 – Black hits d4 at once. After 3.Nf3 cxd4 the structures become symmetrical; the main reply is 3.d5, which gains space but creates the c4-d5 chain that Black will undermine.
  5. 3.d5 – White advances, gaining space and taking c6 away from the b8 knight. Now the d5 pawn depends on c4: Black can choose between ...b5 (Benko) and ...e6 (Benoni).
  6. 3...e6 – The Modern Benoni: Black challenges d5 to exchange the e-pawn and create an asymmetrical structure, with a queenside majority and a half-open e-file.
  7. 4.Nc3 – White supports d5 with the knight, so he can recapture with the c-pawn after ...exd5 and keep a pawn on d5.
  8. 4...exd5 – Black exchanges in the centre: he opens the e-file and fixes the typical Benoni structure.
  9. 5.cxd5 – White recaptures with the c-pawn: he gets a central majority and space, while Black has the queenside majority.
  10. 5...d6 – The d6 pawn blocks d5, controls e5 against the e4-e5 push and opens the way for the c8 bishop. It is the key pawn of Black's defence.
  11. 6.e4 – White completes the e4-d5 centre. His long-term plan is the e4-e5 break, which would open the position in his favour.
  12. 6...g6 – Black prepares the fianchetto: the g7 bishop will control e5 and the long diagonal, supporting future queenside expansion.
  13. 7.f4 – White pushes f4 at once: with e4 and f4 he prepares the e4-e5 break, very dangerous because Black has not castled yet.
  14. 7...Bg7 – Black completes the fianchetto: the bishop controls e5 and will be essential if the centre opens.
  15. 8.Nf3 – White develops and supports the e4-e5 push, the main threat of the Four Pawns Attack.
  16. 8...O-O – Black castles at once: the king must leave e8 before the centre opens with e5.
  17. 9.Be2 – Solid development: White prepares castling before pushing e5. The e2 bishop also protects the f3 knight against a future pin.
  18. 9...Bg4 – Black's key idea against the Four Pawns: the bishop pins and will later exchange the f3 knight, one of the pieces supporting the e4-e5 push.
  19. 10.O-O – White castles, taking the king off the e-file before opening the centre.
  20. 10...Nbd7 – The knight reinforces e5 against White's push and prepares ...Re8 and ...c4 followed by ...Nc5, where it will press on e4.
  21. 11.h3 – White asks the bishop to decide: exchange on f3 or retreat. In most cases Black exchanges, as his plan intends.
  22. 11...Bxf3 – Black gives up the bishop for the f3 knight: the e4-e5 break loses a supporter and the e4 pawn becomes harder to defend.
  23. 12.Bxf3 – White recaptures with the bishop and gets the bishop pair; the f3 bishop defends e4 but is partly hemmed in by its own pawns.
  24. 12...Re8 – The rook attacks e4 on the e-file: the pawn is now attacked by the rook and the f6 knight, and White must think about defence before the e5 push.

How to exploit the position

White has a big centre and the bishop pair, but the e4 pawn is under pressure and the e5 push has lost a supporter.

Master tips

The f3 knight is the piece to exchange

In the Four Pawns the f3 knight supports e4-e5. Exchanging it with ...Bxf3 reduces the strength of White's break.

Model games