This leaves Black a few options such as an early ...f5 and an early dark-squared bishop trade by ...Be7-g5, but has the drawback that White is no longer committed to playing c2-c4 after the response 2.d5. White may prefer to occupy c4 with a knight, or to inconvenience Black's development with an early bishop check on b5.
Black can then offer a pawn sacrifice with 3...b5 (the Benko Gambit), otherwise 3...e6 is the most common move, leading to the Modern Benoni. 3...d6 or 3...g6 are also seen, typically transposing to main lines, or to lines of the King's Indian Defense. 3...e5, the Czech Benoni, is now considered old-fashioned and allows White a clear space advantage.
Benoni (Hebrew: בֶּן־אוֹנִי; Ben-Oni) is an ancient Hebrew name, still occasionally used, meaning "son of my sorrow". It is a reference to the Biblical account of the dying Rachel giving birth to Benjamin, whom she named Ben-Oni.[1]
In 1825 Aaron Reinganum, a prominent member of the Frankfurt Jewish community, published a book entitled Ben-Oni oder die Vertheidigungen gegen die Gambitzüge im Schache in which he analyzed several defenses to the King's Gambit and the Queen's Gambit, as well as the then unknown opening 1.d4 c5. Reinganum, who studied chess to alleviate his depression, conceived the name "Ben-Oni" as a nickname for his writings rather than the name of an opening.[2]
In the 1843 Staunton–Saint Amant match, Saint Amant met 1.d4 with 1...c5 in the second and fourth games. Saint Amant wrote in Le Palamède (1843): "This opening is not favorable to Black. Bennoni [sic] gives some examples; but it loses time to White, which deprives Black of all the advantages of a good opening."[3] Staunton wrote in The Chess-Player's Companion (1849): "M. St. Amant derived this somewhat bizarre defense from Benoni. (Benoni, oder Vertheidigungen die Gambitzüge im Schache, &c. Von Aaron Reinganum, Frankfort, 1825.)"[4] Staunton also mentions "Ben-Oni" while commenting on the move 1...c5 in The Chess-player's Handbook (1847, page 382).
Subsequently, the name "Benoni" came to be associated with the opening 1.d4 c5, and later with 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 and other openings in which Black counters d2–d4 with an early ....c7–c5, without first having played ...d7–d5.
Old Benoni: 1.d4 c5
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Old Benoni Defense
The Old Benoni Defense starts with 1.d4 c5. White usually replies 2.d5 in order to gain space , as 2.dxc5 e6 leads to no advantage, and 2.e4 transposes to the Morra Gambit, also promising equality at best. The Old Benoni may transpose to the Czech Benoni, but there are a few independent variations. This form has never attracted serious interest in high-level play, though Alexander Alekhine defeated Efim Bogoljubow with it in one game of their second match, in 1934. The Old Benoni is sometimes called the Blackburne Defense after Englishman Joseph Henry Blackburne, the first player known to have used it successfully.[5]
Czech Benoni: 3...e5
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Czech Benoni
In the Czech Benoni, also known as the Hromadka Benoni, after Karel Hromádka, Black plays 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e5. The Czech Benoni is more solid than the Modern Benoni, but also more passive. The middlegames arising from this line are characterized by much maneuvering; in most lines, Black will look to break with ...b7–b5 or ...f7–f5 after due preparation, while White may play Nc3, e4, h3, Bd3, Nf3, and g4, in order to gain space on the kingside and prevent ...f5.[6]GrandmasterBen Finegold often plays this line; he notably beat Mamedyarov in this variation.[7]
The Benko Gambit, also known as the Volga Gambit, begins 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5. Play usually continues 4.cxb5 a6 5.bxa6 Bxa6. Black sacrifices a pawn for open lines and long-term positional pressure on the queen's side.
The Modern Benoni, 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6, is the second most common form of Benoni after the Benko Gambit. Black's intention is to play ...exd5 and create a queenside pawn majority , whose advance will be supported by a fianchettoed bishop on g7. The combination of these two features differentiates Black's setup from the other Benoni defenses and the King's Indian Defense, although transpositions between these openings are common. The Modern Benoni is classified under the ECO codes A60–A79.
The Blumenfeld is a variant of the Modern Benoni beginning 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nf3 b5. While it superficially resembles the Benko Gambit, it has a different strategic goal, that being to initiate counterplay against White's pawn center rather than develop positional pressure on the queen's side.
Snake Benoni: 3...e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 Bd6
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Snake Benoni
The Snake Benoni is a variant of the Modern Benoni where the bishop is developed to d6 rather than g7. This opening was invented in 1982 by Rolf Olav Martens, who gave it its name because of the sinuous movement of the bishop—in Martens's original concept, Black follows up with 6...Bc7 and sometimes ...Ba5—and because the Swedish word for "snake", orm, was an anagram of his initials.[8]Normunds Miezis has been a regular exponent of this variation.[9] Aside from Martens's plan, 6...0-0 intending ...Re8, ...Bf8 and a potential redeployment of the bishop to g7, has also been tried.[9] White appears to retain the advantage against both setups.[10]
The Modern Defense is a hypermodern chess opening in which Black allows White to occupy the center with pawns on d4 and e4, then proceeds to attack and undermine this "ideal" center without attempting to occupy it.
The King's Indian Defence is a common chess opening. It is defined by the following moves:
The English Opening is a chess opening that begins with the move:
The Caro–Kann Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves:
The Modern Benoni is a chess opening that begins with the moves 1.d4Nf6 2.c4c5 3.d5e6. It is classified under the ECO codes A60–A79. After the initial moves, Black proceeds to capture on d5, creating a majority of black pawns on the queenside. To support their advance, the king's bishop is usually fianchettoed on g7. These two features differentiate Black's setup from the other Benoni defences and the King's Indian Defence, although transpositions between these openings are common.
The Queen's Pawn Game is any chess opening starting with the move:
In chess, an exchange variation is a type of opening in which there is an early, voluntary exchange of pawns or pieces. Such variations are often quieter than other lines because the early release of tension minimizes the possibility of surprise tactics or sharp, forcing lines, particularly where it results in a symmetrical pawn structure.
In the game of chess, Indian Defence or Indian Game is a broad term for a group of openings characterised by the moves:
The Taimanov Variation can refer to variations of four different chess openings, all named after Mark Taimanov:
In chess, the Maróczy Bind is a term alternately used to refer to an opening or its associated pawn structure, named for the Hungarian grandmaster Géza Maróczy. When the Bind is discussed as an opening, it is defined as 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.c4. The Maróczy Bind opening is a continuation of the Sicilian Defence, Accelerated Dragon, where 5.c4 is the characteristic move.
A Semi-Closed Game is a chess opening in which White plays 1.d4 but Black does not make the symmetrical reply 1...d5.
The World Chess Championship 1886 was the first official World Chess Championship match contested by Wilhelm Steinitz and Johannes Zukertort. The match took place in the United States from 11 January to 29 March, the first five games being played in New York City, the next four being played in St. Louis and the final eleven in New Orleans. The winner was the first player to achieve ten wins. Wilhelm Steinitz won the match 10–5, winning his tenth game in the twentieth game of the match. There were five draws.
The third World Chess Championship was held in New York City from 9 December 1890 to 22 January 1891. Holder Wilhelm Steinitz narrowly defeated his Hungarian challenger, Isidor Gunsberg.
The 1978 World Chess Championship was played between Anatoly Karpov and Viktor Korchnoi in Baguio, Philippines, from July 18 to October 18, 1978. Karpov won, thereby retaining the title.
The Nadanian Variation of the Grünfeld Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves:
The 1992 Fischer–Spassky match between former world chess champions Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky was billed as a World Chess Championship, though it was an unofficial rematch of their 1972 World Championship match. Fischer won 10–5, with 15 draws.
↑ "Whenever I felt in a sorrowful mood and wanted to take refuge from melancholy, I sat over a chessboard, for one or two hours according to circumstances. Thus this book came into being, and its name, Ben-Oni, 'Son of Sadness,' should indicate its origin." (Reinganum, Aaron; Hoeck, Johann Daniel Albrecht [1825]: Ben-Oni oder die Vertheidigungen gegen die Gambitzüge im Schache [Son of sorrow or Defenses against Gambits in Chess]. Frankfurt am Main [Germany]: Hermann.
Hall, Jesper (August 1999). "Seek, and thou shalt find!". In Giddins, Steve (ed.). New In Chess–The First 25 Years. Alkmaar: New In Chess (published 2009). ISBN978-90-5691-296-3.
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