Benko Gambit

Course

131 EPISODES (5h 46m)

Creator

GM Gabuzyan Hovhannes

Buy this course for $150

Why Play the Benko Gambit against 1.d4?

When you face 1.d4, you want something easy to learn, practical to play, and uncomfortable for White.
The Benko Gambit checks all those boxes.

You don’t need to memorize heavy theory — Black’s plans are clear. You give up a pawn, but in return you get long-term Queenside pressure, open lines for your pieces, and active play in almost every position.

White often feels under constant pressure, and many strong players prefer to avoid the gambit altogether, especially in faster time controls.

In this course, you’ll see how the Benko lets you fight for the initiative from move two — keeping your opponent on their toes the entire game.Below are some of the positions we’ll dive into together in the course:

Benko Gambit

Learning the Benko Gambit will give you a better understanding of the importance of active pieces, open and half-open lines and the strength of g7-bishop that occurs from many openings.
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What you'll learn

A full repertoire to play the Benko Gambit, covering all crucial variations and sidelines, move-by-move.
How to play with a pawn deficit but happy pieces.
The main idea behind the Benko Gambit (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5)
How to grab the initiative with Black?
How to counter White's 3rd move alternatives in this opening instead of 3.d5.
The power of happy pieces — how a Bishop on a long diagonal and Rooks on open files can stifle the enemy’s position.
A strategy where Black offers to exchange Queens and go into an endgame, despite having less material!
Model games to help you understand the Benko Gambit better and more.

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Lesson Plan 131 episode(s)

1. Course introduction

2. The logic of the Benko Gambit

Unlocked 6m 55s

3. Agenda

Unlocked 2m 57s

4. Why you don’t need to fall for engine numbers in the Benko opening

Unlocked 1m 40s

1. Introduction

2. What do we get for a pawn sacrifice? - Black’s ideas

Unlocked 2m 13s

3. Paradoxical trading idea

Unlocked 1m 39s

4. White’s Ideas

Unlocked 1m 25s

5. Summarizing the ideas

6. Powerful Qb6 idea!

Unlocked 2m 14s

7. Qc8 nuance

8. 7.f4 - before e4

Unlocked 1m 50s

9. Summarizing the opening setup

Unlocked 1m 35s

10. Trading the Queen

Unlocked 3m 20s

11. TV Concept

12. The importance of the d3 square

13. The controversial pawn push

Unlocked 3m 17s

14. Breaking the structure with c4

Unlocked 3m 58s

15. The typical sidekick

Unlocked 3m 53s

16. Trading the g7 monster

Unlocked 3m 43s

17. Fixating the target

Unlocked 1m 10s

18. Summary of middlegame ideas

19. Gavrilov A. - Andreikin D.

Unlocked 8m 44s

20. Conclusion

Unlocked 1m 32s

1. Introduction

2. Black’s ideas

3. Van der Sterren P. - Adams M.

4. Duessel U. - Iturrizaga E.

5. Conclusion

1. Other 5th moves of White

1. Introduction

2. e4 move - the mating trap

3. 8.Bc4

4. 8.Bf4

5. Conclusion

1. Introduction

2. Ideas of 5.e3

3. 8.a4 option

4. Conclusion

1. Introduction

2. 5.b6 rejecting the pawn

3. 5.f3 - How to deal with long pawn chain

4. Conclusion

1. Introduction

2. 4.b3

3. 4.Qc2

4. 4.Nd2

5. 4.Nf3

6. Tempo losing 4.Nc3

7. Meaningless 4.a4

8. Conclusion

1. Introduction

2. 3.dxc5

3. Knight moves

4. 3.e3

5. 2.Nf3

6. 1.Nf3

7. Conclusion

1. Introduction

2. Model game 1 - With 7.e4 line

3. Model game 2 - 7.e4 - Setup with Nge2

4. Model game 3 - vs GM So Wesley

5. Model game 4 - With Qc8 nuance

6. Model game 5 - With Qc8 nuance

7. Model game 6 - With Qc8 nuance vs 3000 rated player

8. Model game 7 - With 4.b3

9. Model game 8 - With g3 setup

10. Model game 9 - With b6 move

11. Model game 10 - With 5.e3

12. Model game 11 - With 5.f3

13. Model game 12 - With 4.Qc2

14. Model game 13 - With b4 structures

15. Model game 14 - Zaitsev Variation 5.Nc3

16. Model game 15 - With 4.b3

17. Conclusion

Main course conclusion

1. Introduction

2. Agenda

1. Introduction

2. 12.Nd2?

3. 12.e5?

4. Main 12.Re1

5. 12.Re1 - 15.Bg5

6. 12.Re1 - 15.Ra3

7. Other 14th moves of White

8. Other 13th moves of White

9. 13.Rb1

10. Other 12th moves of White

11. Conclusion

1. Introduction

2. 11.h3

3. 11.Re1

4. 11.Qc2

5. 11.Qc2 - 12.Rb1

6. 11.Rb1

7. Conclusion

1. Introduction

2. 9.e4

3. 9.e4 - 13.Be3

4. Identical 9.Be2 or 9.Bc4 moves

5. 9.Rb1

6. 9.Ra3

7. Conclusion

1. Introduction

2. 9.e4

3. 9.Nf3 - the important nuance

4. 10.e4

5. 9.Bg5

6. Conclusion

1. Introduction

2. Option 1 - systems with g6

3. Option 2 - Concrete 5…axb5

4. 7.Bd2

5. 10.Ne3 or 10.dxe6

6. 10.axb4

7. Conclusion

1. Introduction

2. 4…b4

3. 7.a3

4. 7.Bd3

5. Suspicious 7.e5

6. Conclusion

1. Introduction

2. Temporary Bishop sacrifice

3. 5.h4

4. 5.Bf4

5. Conclusion

1. Introduction

2. Accepting the sacrifice

3. Conclusion

Advanced conclusion

4.9

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