Black
is OK in the Benko
By Michael McGuerty
The ABC of the Benko Gambit (DVD) by Andrew Martin,
ChessBase, Playing time: 6 hours $34.95 (ChessCafe Price: $28.95)
In this second edition of the ABC of the Benko Gambit, Martin examines both
the gambit accepted and declined, and tries to present a solid grounding of
the ideas and themes that underpin the opening. He uses illustrative games to
allow the viewer to play the opening with confidence by knowing how to organize
their pieces and what to play for.
The main four hours of content was geared to be relevant for 2005; the two
hour update includes many recent games and a portrait of how the gambit stands
today. The material is divided as follows:
* Introduction
* 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 c5 4 d5 d6 5 e4 b5: Van Scheltinga-Opocensky
* 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 g6 4 Nc3 d6 5 e4 b5: Taimanov-Bronstein
* 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 b5 4 cxb5 a6 5 bxa6 Bxa6 6 Nc3 d6: Aspler-Benko
* 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 b5 4 cxb5 a6 5 bxa6 Bxa6 6 Nc3 d6: Parr-Browne
* 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 b5 4 cxb5 a6 5 b6: Cheparinov-Ivanchuk
* Benko Gambit Accepted
* 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 b5 4 cxb5 a6 5 bxa6 Bxa6 6 Nc3 d6 7 g3: Gurevich-Cao
Sang
* 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 b5 4 cxb5 a6 5 bxa6 Bxa6 6 Nc3 d6: Radziewicz-Pinski
* 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 b5 4 cxb5 a6 5 bxa6 g6 6 Nc3 Bxa6 7 Nf3: Wright-Fedorowicz
* 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 b5 4 cxb5 a6 5 bxa6 g6 6 g3: Marquez Molina-Bellon Lopez
* Pawn Structure
* 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 b5 4 cxb5 a6 5 bxa6 g6 6 Nc3 Bxa6 7 g3: Aseev-Ponomariov
* 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 b5 4 cxb5 a6 5 bxa6 g6 6 Nc3 Bxa6 7 f4: Bangiev-Devcic
* 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 b5 4 cxb5 a6 5 bxa6 Bxa6 6 Nc3 g6: Knaak-Vaganian
* Summary Benko Gambit Declined [sic]
* Benko Gambit Declined
* 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 b5 4 cxb5 a6 5 e3: Georgiev-Rogers
* 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 b5 4 cxb5 a6 5 b6: Elson-Mannion
* 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 b5 4 cxb5 a6 5 b6: Aubry-Goulenok
* 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 b5 4 cxb5 a6 5 Nc3: Breutigam-Fedorowicz
* 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 b5 4 cxb5 a6 5 f3: Dzagnidze-Kostiuk
* 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 b5 4 Nf3: Sokolov-Bareev
* d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 b5 4 a4: Gheorghiu-Norris
* Summary Benko Gambit Declined and farewell
* 2010 Update
* Van Wely-Carlsen
* Atalik-Milanovic
* Mohota-Turov
* Yermolinsky-Ehlvest
* Sargissian-Caruana
* Shestoperov-Bogorads
* Nyback-Kivipelto
* Muheim-Eames
* Vitiugov-Nepomniachtchi and Outro
The running time of six hours can seem a little daunting when you think about
how to find that kind of time to devote to watching a DVD. However, the video
files mostly run twenty minutes (more or less), so it is easy enough to watch
one or two segments per day; and, once you begin, each segment leaves you looking
forward to the next.
The introduction mostly consists of a series of games in which things go very
well for black. In the game Parr-Browne, Adelaide 1971, where White was decidedly
the weaker player, Martin states the main reason he is showing the game is that
there are few things as instructive to the average player as fairly lopsided
games in an opening. Because usually the main themes are well illustrated as
the loser is failing to cope with the opponent's ideas. And finally you get
a nice optimistic basis for learning the opening.
Martin believes that when one is coming to learn a new opening one needs to
be optimistic. We don't really want to see games where Black is getting crushed
to start off with, because that makes you feel depressed about playing the opening
in question. He further notes that the little details and subtle problems come
with time and not from learning from a DVD. They come from experience playing
the gambit and learning from books. But to begin its a good thing to know the
best things that can happen to you when you use the opening. He admits it is
"propaganda" for the opening to showcase where one side gets its own
way, but it also creates an excitement with the viewer to try and put these
plans into practice. It is only in the last game of the introduction, Cheparinov-Ivanchuk,
FIDE World Cup 2005, that Martin shows what can go wrong for Black. He calls
it a lesson in what Black should avoid in the Benko Gambit.
The presentation is primarily from Black's point of view, though there are
plenty of pointers for White as well. In the BGA section, Martin shies away
from variations and presents ideas, typical tactics, general evaluations, golden
rules, and thematic endgame play. He often points out Black's advantageous structure
for endgames. He deals with each of the following benefits for Black in turn:
- First, easy development for his pieces.
- Second, the initiative and promise of positional pressure.
- Third, a fireproof pawn structure and the hope of a favorable endgame.
After presenting a number of games where everything goes Black's way, Martin
presents some games to illustrate its not always as easy at it seems for Black.
The game Knaak-Vaganian is described as an "an ideal example of virtually
all the things that can happen if Black goes even slightly go wrong." Here,
White's energetic play simply dominates. In the game Bangiev-Devcic, the following
position is reached after 18 Bf4:
Martin proclaims it is difficult to give a definitive assessment of the position,
but "Black should be OK." And here one of the features of using the
Fritz Trainer within ChessBase
11 or a playing program comes in handy, because one can simply pause the
video, click on the default kibitzer, and get an evaluation from the chess engine
of choice. In this case, Fritz
12 offers a +- (3:09) and clearly assesses White as winning.
In the BGD section, Martin tries to present lines in the spirit of those shown
in the BGA portions of the content, though he notes that Black has to be more
concrete. Black has to be prepared to part from the routine and cannot get by
on generalizations, as the play is more specific. Martin is unimpressed with
the 5 e3 variation for White and in the Shirov 5 b6 line he recommends 5...Qxb6
as best and most straightforward.
During the 2010 update, Martin claims Black is still OK in the Benko, but the
games have players such as Carlsen, Caruana, and Nepomniachtchi all getting
the worse of it as black and feature more wins for White than for Black, though
Martin shows where Black could have improved in these games. He describes the
Benko as a challenging opening and this certainly applies to both sides. At
the top level Martin calls it a sign of courage to be willing to assay the Benko,
because White has all manner of ways to fight against it and Black has to walk
a fine line to keep the balance, especially in the fianchetto line with 10 Rb1.
His presentation will leave you itching to play the opening after only thirty
minutes and will enable you to generate interesting ideas at the board.