Benko, Pal - The Benko Gambit - A Dynamic Winning Strategy for Black.pdf

THE

BEMKO GAWBIT PAL BENKO EXPLAINS A DYNAMIC WINNING STRAHGY FOR BLACK

by 1nternational Grandmaster PAL BENKO

SIDNEY FRIED, Publisher BURT HOCHBERG, Editor-in-Chief DENNIS FRIED, Assistant Editor

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© 1973

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List of Openings (Covering all Important Variations in each Opening)

Sicilian

Pirc

King's Indian

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Benko Gambit

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Table of Contents Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1

History of the Gambit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

7

Games: Bronstein vs. Lundin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

7

Szabo vs. Lundin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

11

Taimanov vs. Bronstein . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

15

Theory o f the Gambit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

22

A: The Gambit Deferred . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

23

B : White Gives Up Castling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

29

C: White Retains Castling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

42

D : Quiet Variation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

54

Fianchetto Variation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

59

F: Transpositions to the Gambit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

74

G. The Gambit Declined

82

H: The G ambit Reversed

92

E:

Twenty Selected Games Played by Pal Benko . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

95

Lis t of Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

96

Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142 Ou tline of Variations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143

THE

BEMKO GAWBIT PAL BENKO EXPLAINS A DYNAMIC WINNING STRATEGY FOR BLACK

THE

BENKO

GAMBIT

Introduction

In the chapters that follow we will examine thoroughly a modern, dynamic gambit which, after years of personal experience, I can heartily recommend to my readers. But before proceeding with the analysis and the complete games, let us take a look at the character­ istic position after the first few moves : 1 2 3 4 5

P-Q4 P-QB4 P-QS PxP PxP

N-KB3 P-B4 P-QN4! P-QR3 BxP

This is the usual starting position o f the so-called Benko Gambit. The question naturally arises here : What sort of compensation does Black have for the sacrificed pawn? 1) He has an advantage in development. Not only has Black overtaken White in development, he has developed effectively: h is B ishop on QR3 hinders White's efforts to carry out the natural developing move P-K4. In addition, a hidden advantage is the fact that Black's Queen Rook stands on a useful open file without hav­ ing had to move. 2) Black's pawn structure is compact but not inflexible. He has the possibilities of P-K3, P-KB4 and-after White's eventually necessary P-QN3-the move P-QB5, freeing QB4 for a piece, creat­ ing the possibility of exploiting Q6, and breaking the defense of White's Queenside. 3) The pawn sacrifice has removed an important White central 1

THE BENKO GAMBIT pawn-the QBP-which makes the natural White central break­ through (P-K4-K5) more difficult because his Queen pawn wiii be undefended. Even if such a breakthrough should become feasible, its potency will be less than usual because of the absence of the QB pawn. Furthermore, Black will be able to gain the advantage of a mobile pawn center by the possibility of P-K3 , whether White replies P X P or allows Black to play P X P. In the latter case, White's Queen pawn will be weakened still more because, having already advanced his King pawn and exchanged his QB pawn, there will be no pawns to lend it support. 4) It is a simple matter to achieve an active setup for the Black pieces in which they cooperate excellently. The two Rooks occupy­ ing the QR and QN files, supported by the "Indian" Bishop on KN2, exert great pressure against White's Queenside which will be in­ creased by the deployment of the Queen and Knights. It is con­ ceivable that Black will prevail either on the Queenside or on the King's wing, once having drawn White's pieces to defend the Queenside, or even in the center by means of a well-timed break­ through. 5) It is a psychological advantage that Black can at once seize the opportunity to direct the course of the game and that he can force White to play defensively for a long time. During this phase of the struggle it is quite easy for White to commit an error which may soon have serious repercussions. From all this it can be learned that White's game is difficult (!) and that he must play very patiently and cautiously, compared with which Black has the initiative and a positional advantage as wel l. White must secure his Queenside before he can think of active play and the carrying out of the P-K5 breakthrough or the realization of his extra pawn on the Queenside. The loss of either the QR pawn or the QN pawn will usually mean more than merely the restoration of the material balance, for after such a loss the neighboring pawn will be fatally weakened. Exchanges, normally favoring the player with a material superiority, must in this case be avoided by White both for reasons of defense and to maintain possibilities for counter­ attack. Summing up the above points, we may state that the gambit is easier to play with Black than with White. It is anticipated that this will hold true for a considerable time. Long before the era of gam2

THE BENKO

GAMBIT

bits came to an end, most of them were already being reduced in effectiveness by the development of chess technique. Most such gambits were based on the idea of a quick Kingside attack made possible by an advantage in development, which was obtained by the sacrifice of material. But when it was discovered that by means of appropriate exchanges and the return of sacrificed material Black could refute the attack and emerge with the better position, those gambits fell into decline and eventual disuse. However, because those technical means do not apply to the Benko Gambit, it has had a lengthy period of remarkable success. This gambit is not based on tactical tricks or traps, but on solid positional ideas. It is a completely modern gambit which creates its own laws and possibilities. I have been adopting the gambit regularly in professional tourna­ ment practice for about seven years. I have played it almost without exception whenever the opportunity presented itself, and against all kinds of opposition. And I have made no secret of it. The best of the games I have played with it were published in the pages of Chess Life & Review* with my comments. I have as much as announced publicly that anyone can play against me with an extra pawn within a few moves of the opening. Despite this challenge, in the last several tournaments in which I have partici­ pated during the preparation of this book I had hardly any oppor­ tunities to adopt my favorite gambit. My opponents preferred to avoid the gain of a pawn and adopted an even more modest opening than the regular Queen's Gambit. My results show a prevailing plus with Black. I have lost only two games, but neither one because of the opening. As White I h ave played against the gambit three times and I must confess that I felt most uncomfortable. I could win only one game with White, and then because I surprised my opponent with a new continuation. In the meantime, many grandmasters, including a world cham­ pion, have adopted this "hot," dynamic gambit, and it can there­ fore be found in most serious tournaments. For this reason every player-those who may wish to adopt it and those who may have to face it-must become familiar with its theory. Nevertheless, this gambit must be understood rather than merely

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THE

BENKO

G A M B IT

memorized. Its consequences are felt throughout the middle game and even into the endgame; I have therefore considered it useful to give full games where characteristic motifs are demonstrated. Even in the analytical sections, actual games are given frequently to their conclusion, for the same reason. I would like to clarify what is meant by "Benko Gambit." Many often speak of it incorrectly as the Volga Gambit. That name itself makes little sense since I have never heard of a player with that name nor of a tournament on the river Volga. I have even dis­ cussed this matter with several Soviet grandmasters, but they too considered the origin of that name unclear. They did agree, how­ ever, that the name Volga Gambit refers only to the treatment of the pawn sacrifice with Black playing an early P-K 3 , which is rather similar to the old Blumenfeld Gambit. The Volga Gambit differs completely from the Benko Gambit. The former gives the game an entirely different character by blow­ ing up the center immediately, whereas in the Benko Gambit Black fianchettoes his King Bishop and attacks on the Queenside. Tai­ manov's book, Damengambit bis Holliindisch, published in German in 1970, and the Russian magazine Shakhmatny Biulletin (1971, #5) treat only the Volga Gambit (with P-K3 by Black). But that gambit is not considered to be totally correct by most masters and it very rarely occurs in modern tournaments. It is a pity to confuse these two openings whic h have com­ pletely different goals--even the pawn sacrifice is offered for dif­ ferent reasons. Because of this, the Volga Gambit is not dealt with in this book. In the beginning I tried to popularize this opening under the name Benoni Countergambit, but the name did not stick as players began to call it the Benko Gambit. I must add, of course, that I have never claimed to have been the first to adopt it; in the chapter dealing with the history of the gambit I explain its origins in inter­ national chess. There can be no doubt, however, that I have made it popular with my games and articles-due to them it has become an accepted opening in international practice since I developed the idea that White must take this gambit into consideration before deciding upon his opening move. For this reason, some literature on the gambit already exists. Finally, allow me to quote from the Swedish book on the "Volga Gambit" (a misnomer): 4

THE

BEN KO

GAMBIT

The Volga Gambit has had an absolute renaissance in the last few years. The Hungarian-born [a m istake-! was actually born in France but raised in Hungary. PB] Amer­ ican Grandmaster Pal Benko has made a lot of "public relations" for the Benoni Countergambit as he calls it. He has written many articles on it but the most important thing is that he himself often plays the variation.

5

THE

BENKO GAMBIT

History of the Gambit

It is hardly possible to state precisely who first adopted the gambit. Some Swedish sources mention that it first occurred there in the 1 920s and that tournaments especially for the gambit were organ­ ized later. The three internationally known masters of Sweden's past-Stahlberg, Stoltz and Lundin-also used it, although Stahlberg found it not to his taste either as White or as Black. Indeed, the Swedish players appear to have used the Kingside fianchetto, if not the modern order of moves. Of course, the gambit may have occurred elsewhere as well, but it was undoubtedly Lundin who in­ troduced it into international tournament practice. Nevertheless, it later fell into oblivion. The earliest examples of the gambit in serious competition are the games Bronstein-Lundin, Szabo-Lundin, and Taimanov-Bron­ stein, which are analyzed below. The iirst example in a serious international tournament was the game between the Soviet star David Bronstein and Erik Lundin at the Interzonal in Saltsj obaden 1 948. Its importance at that time is attributable to the fact that first place in that critical tournament was actually decided by it! Swedish International Master Erik Lundin (b. 1 904) played it against both Bronstein and Laszlo Szabo, the two tournament leaders. Bronstein was able to win, but Szabo, tied with Bronstein going into the final round, lost against Lundin ( and the gambit ! ) and had to be content with second place. These two games, of some historical importance, are worth seeing. They illus­ trate the state of theory as regards the gambit at that time.

Saltsjobaden 1948 White: David Bronstein Black: Erik Lundin 1 2 3 4 5

P-Q4 P-QB4 P-QS N-QB3 P-K4

N-KB3 P-B4 P-Q3 P-KN3 P-QN4!? 7

THE

BENKO

GAMBIT

As we can see, the most effective order of moves in the gambit had not yet been found-it seems Black wanted White to play P- K4 before offering the pawn with P- QN4. For some time this was considered necessary to avoid other lines in which White could advantageously avoid playing P- K4. Opening treatises which deal with special systems are inherently unable to keep up with the development of theory, so Pachman and Euwe, for example, still consider this the main line. This despite the fact that I pointed out long ago that this view is out of date, and despite the fact that I have proved in practice that Black should not fear those once- feared possibilities. 6 PxP 7 B-K2

B-KN2 P-QR3

Now Black is correct to wait for White's Bishop to move. so as to gain a tempo if White captures on QN5 or QR6. Of course, the waiting move 7 N- B3 would have been more exact. 0-0

8 N-B3 9 PxP

This capture is not at all necessary; 9 0-0 P X P 1 0 B X P is better. B XP

9 10 BxB

Nor is this capture urgent, as we will see when we analyze later games. More correct is 10 0-0, since the text makes possible the plan 10 . . . R X B 1 1 0-0 QN- Q2, followed by 1 2 . . . Q-R 1 and 1 3 . . . KR-N 1 , which is an active setup for Black. This can be prevented, though only temporarily, by 1 1 Q-K2 instead of 1 1 0-0. 10 1 1 0-0

NXB N-Q2

Black strives to hinder the central breakthrough by P-K5 . For this purpose the indirect defense 1 1 . . . N-B2 was to be taken into consideration, with pressure on Q4. 1 1 . . . R- N 1 is not to be recommended because of 1 2 P-K5 P X P 1 3 N x P N x P? 1 4 8

THE

BENKO

G A M BIT

Q x N Q X Q 15 N X Q B X N 16 N X Pch and N-B6 !

12 B-NS!

An uncomfortable move wh ich-as is often the case-gains a tempo by attacking the King pawn. In case of 1 2 . . . P-R3 both 1 3 B- B4 (preparing P-K5) and 13 B- R4, maintaining the pressure, are to be considered . A further driving of the Bishop by P-KN4 would be sensible if Black could then exchange his Knight for the B ishop by a later N- KN5 or N-KR4. But since this will not be possible here, P-KN4 would mean only a weakening of Black's castled position. Nevertheless, 12 . . . P-R3 is playable so as to force White to make that decision and to prevent the possibility of a later B-KR6. 12

0

0

0

0

0

R-Nl

0

This move, in