Snake Benoni Variation
In the Snake Benoni Black delays ...d6 and places the bishop on d6, supported by ...Re8, to control the e5 square. The follow-up plan is ...Bc7, ...d6 and queenside play.
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 Bd6 6.e4 O-O 7.Nf3 Re8 8.Bd3
Move by move
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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).
- 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.
- 4.Nc3 – White supports d5 with the knight, so he can recapture with the c-pawn after ...exd5 and keep a pawn on d5.
- 4...exd5 – Black exchanges in the centre: he opens the e-file and fixes the typical Benoni structure.
- 5.cxd5 – White recaptures with the c-pawn: he gets a central majority and space, while Black has the queenside majority.
- 5...Bd6 – The Snake Benoni: instead of ...d6 and ...g6, the bishop goes straight to d6 and can continue to c7, freeing the d-pawn to advance later.
- 6.e4 – White occupies the centre. With Black's bishop on d6, an e4-e5 push would attack bishop and knight together, so Black must keep e5 under control.
- 6...O-O – Black castles and prepares ...Re8, which together with the d6 bishop will control e5 and restrain White's push.
- 7.Nf3 – White develops and supports e5. He prepares Bd3 or Be2 and castling.
- 7...Re8 – The rook occupies the e-file: together with the d6 bishop it controls e5, and it attacks the e4 pawn.
- 8.Bd3 – The bishop defends e4 and prepares castling. Now e4 is protected by the c3 knight and the d3 bishop, while the e5 push is still covered by the d6 bishop and the e8 rook.
How to exploit the position
White has a classical e4-d5 centre and quick development; Black controls e5 with the d6 bishop and the e8 rook but still has to develop the queenside.
- ...Bc7 and ...d6 complete the structure and free the c8 bishop.
- ...Na6 followed by ...Nb4 attacks the d3 bishop and the c2 square; ...a6 and ...b5 prepare queenside expansion.
- The e4-e5 push is White's main threat: keep at least two pieces on e5 until the d6 pawn is in place.
Master tips
Don't forget the d7 pawn
Without ...d6 the d7 pawn and the c8 bishop remain blocked. Sooner or later the d6 bishop must move to c7 to free the pawn.