Introduction to the Benoni Defense

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The Benoni is one of the most popular, most interesting, most aggressive, and, at the same time, riskiest defenses black could choose to play against d4.

Its name has come from the Hebrew term “Ben Oni”, meaning son of sorrow, which depicts the defense perfectly. It can lead to quick, interesting wins, but it can also horribly backfire and you could get punished very quickly.

It is an imbalanced defense in which equality is seldom achieved. It’s ambitious. Black doesn’t aim to equalize, he aims to be better! It’s a counter attacking system, in which black is trying to develop his pieces and strike, fighting black head on, without waiting for him to exploit the weaknesses which arise from playing it.

The Benoni is a very pattern heavy opening, meaning that general knowledge and being familiar with weaknesses, plans, strengths, attacking plans, piece maneuvers, and pawn breaks is going to help you play the position even if you don’t know the exact move order. That is very good for developing players, as it allows you to adapt even if your opponent has deviated from the main line theory.

In this introductory video I have covered the basics of the Benoni, as well as most thematic ideas for both colors. The series will include four more videos, one for every variation of the opening; Modern Benoni, Czech (closed) Benoni, Old Benoni, and the Benko Gambit.

Each of these will be covered in detail. The four variations are much closer to independent openings than variations of the same opening. All four are different and revolve around rather different patterns and structures.

I hope you enjoy the series and that you gain a new weapon in your repertoire!

#chess