Benoni - key ideas for White & Black

Benoni is one of the best openings for Black against 1.d4, involving a quick development and initiative. It is an excellent defense for positional, slow-building, strategic players, but also for tactical genius such as Mikhail Tal (also Garry Kasparov, but getting there through the King's Indian Defense), one of the best representatives of Benoni defense.

The guidelines can be categorized as follows:

Benoni ideas for White

1. e4-e5 pawn break:
   (a) recapturing with a piece,
   (b) supported by f4,
   (c) as a pawn sacrifice;
2. Nd2-c4 manoeuvre, targeting the d6-weakness;
3. b2-b4 pawn break (works not that often).

Benoni ideas for Black

1. b7-b5 pawn break: with Na6-c6 or Nb8-d7;
2. f7-f5 pawn break and pressure along the e-file;
3. c5-c4 pawn advance, followed by Nd7-c5, trying to infiltrate on d3;
4. g6-g5 pawn advance in order to secure the e5-square and dominate on the dark-squares.

The following video is throwing the examples where these ideas can be applied with success:

https://youtu.be/tZqcdzS7Ne4

Some of the scenes are taken from the short film "Pakt protiv vetra" (Pact Against the Wind). We want to thank the author (Milan Vergot) and invite you to watch the full movie.