Benoni Defense

The Benoni Defense is a chess opening characterized by an

early reply of ...c5 against White's opening move 1.d4. Most Benoni Defense
commonly, it is reached by the sequence: a b c d e f g h

1. d4 Nf6 8 8
2. c4 c5 7 7
3. d5
6 6

Black can then sacrifice a pawn with 3...b5 (the Benko 5 5

Gambit), otherwise 3...e6 is the most common move (although
4 4
3...d6 or 3...g6 are also seen, typically transposing to main
lines). 3 3

2 2
The Old Benoni Defense is characterized by
1 1
1. d4 c5 a b c d e f g h

This will usually transpose into a main line, however after the Moves 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5
usual 2.d5 Black has the option of 2...f5!?.
ECO A43–A44
A56–A79
Origin Ben-Oni oder die
Contents Vertheidigungen gegen die
Etymology Gambitzüge im Schache by
Aaron Reinganum (1825)
Old Benoni: 1.d4 c5
Named Hebrew: "son of sorrow"
Czech Benoni: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e5
after
Modern Benoni: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6
Parent Indian Defense
Snake Benoni: 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 Bd6
ECO
See also
Notes
References
Further reading

Etymology
Benoni (or "Ben-Oni") ‫ ב ֶּן־אוֹנ ִי‬is an ancient Hebrew name, still occasionally used, meaning "son of my
sorrow", a reference to the biblical story of the dying Rachel giving birth to Benjamin, whom she named
Ben-Oni.(Genesis 35:18 (https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Genesis%2035:18))

In 1825 Aaron Reinganum, a prominent member of Frankfurt's Jewish community, published a book
entitled Ben-Oni oder die Vertheidigungen gegen die Gambitzüge im Schache in which he analyzed several
defences to the King's Gambit and the Queen's Gambit, as well as the then unknown opening 1.d4 c5.
Reinganum, who studied chess to alleviate his depression, conceived the name "Ben-Oni" as a nickname
for his writings rather than the name of an opening.[1]

In the 1843 Staunton-Saint Amant match, Saint Amant met 1.d4 with 1...c5 in the second and fourth
games. Saint Amant wrote in Le Palamède (1843): "This opening is not favorable to Black. Bennoni [sic]
gives some examples; but it loses time to White, which deprives Black of all the advantages of a good
opening."[2] Staunton wrote in The Chess-Player's Companion (1849): "M. St. Amant derived this
somewhat bizarre defence from Benoni. (Benoni, oder Vertheidigungen die Gambitzüge im Schache, &c.
Von Aaron Reinganum, Frankfort, 1825.)"[3] Staunton also mentions "Ben-Oni" while commenting on the
move 1...c5 in The Chess-player's Handbook (1847, page 382).

Subsequently, the name "Benoni" came to be associated with the opening 1.d4 c5, and later with 1.d4 Nf6
2.c4 c5 and other openings in which Black counters d2-d4 with an early ....c7-c5, without first having
played ...d7-d5.

Old Benoni: 1.d4 c5

a b c d e f g h The Old Benoni starts with 1.d4 c5. The Old Benoni may transpose
8 8 to the Czech Benoni, but there are a few independent variations.
7 7
This form has never attracted serious interest in high-level play,
though Alexander Alekhine defeated Efim Bogoljubow with it in
6 6
one game of their second match, in 1934. The Old Benoni is
5 5
sometimes called the Blackburne Defense, after Englishman
4 4 Joseph Henry Blackburne, the first player known to have used it
3 3 successfully.[4]
2 2
1 1
a b c d e f g h
Old Benoni Defense

Czech Benoni: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e5

a b c d e f g h In the Czech Benoni, also known as the Hromadka Benoni, after
8 8 Karel Hromádka, Black plays 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e5. The Czech
7 7
Benoni is more solid than the Modern Benoni, but also more
passive. The middlegames arising from this line are characterized by
6 6
much maneuvering; in most lines, Black will look to break with
5 5
...b7–b5 or ...f7–f5 after due preparation, while White may play
4 4 Nc3–e4–h3–Bd3–Nf3–g4, in order to gain space on the kingside
3 3 and prevent ...f5.[5] Grandmaster Ben Finegold often plays this line;
2 2 he notably beat Mamedyarov in this variation.[6]
1 1
a b c d e f g h
Czech Benoni

Modern Benoni: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6

 The Modern Benoni, 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6, is the second most
a b c d e f g h
common form of Benoni after the Benko Gambit. Black's intention
8 8
is to play ...exd5 and create a queenside pawn majority, whose
7 7 advance will be supported by fianchettoed bishop on g7. The
6 6 combination of these two features differentiates Black's setup from
5 5 the other Benoni defenses and the King's Indian Defense, although
4 4
transpositions between these openings are common. The Modern
Benoni is classified under the ECO codes A60–A79.
3 3
2 2
1 1
a b c d e f g h
Modern Benoni

Snake Benoni: 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 Bd6

a b c d e f g h The Snake Benoni refers to a variant of the Modern Benoni where
8 8 the bishop is developed to d6 rather than g7. This opening was
7 7 invented in 1982 by Rolf Olav Martens, who gave it its name
6 6 because of the sinuous movement of the bishop—in Martens's
5 5
original concept, Black follows up with 6...Bc7 and sometimes
...Ba5—and because the Swedish word for "snake", orm, was an
4 4
anagram of his initials.[7] Normunds Miezis has been a regular
3 3
exponent of this variation.[8] Aside from Martens's plan, 6...0-0
2 2
intending ...Re8, ...Bf8 and a potential redeployment of the bishop
1 1 to g7, has also been tried.[8] White appears to retain the advantage
a b c d e f g h against both setups.[9]
Snake Benoni

ECO
The Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings (ECO) has many codes for the Benoni Defense.

Old Benoni Defense:

A43 1.d4 c5
A44 1.d4 c5 2.d5 e5

Benoni Defense:

A56 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 (includes Czech Benoni)

A57–A59 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 (Benko Gambit)
A60 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6
A61 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.Nf3 g6

Fianchetto Variation:
 A62 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.Nf3 g6 7.g3 Bg7 8.Bg2 0-0
A63 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.Nf3 g6 7.g3 Bg7 8.Bg2 0-0 9.0-0
Nbd7
A64 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.Nf3 g6 7.g3 Bg7 8.Bg2 0-0 9.0-0
Nbd7 10.Nd2 a6 11.a4 Re8

Modern Benoni:

A65 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4

A66 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.f4

Taimanov Variation:

A67 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.f4 Bg7 8.Bb5+

Four Pawns Attack:

A68 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.f4 Bg7 8.Nf3 0-0
A69 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.f4 Bg7 8.Nf3 0-0 9.Be2
Re8

Classical Benoni:

A70 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.Nf3
A71 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.Nf3 Bg7 8.Bg5
A72 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.Nf3 Bg7 8.Be2 0-0
A73 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.Nf3 Bg7 8.Be2 0-0 9.0-0
A74 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.Nf3 Bg7 8.Be2 0-0 9.0-0
a6
A75 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.Nf3 Bg7 8.Be2 0-0 9.0-0
a6 10.a4 Bg4
A76 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.Nf3 Bg7 8.Be2 0-0 9.0-0
Re8
A77 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.Nf3 Bg7 8.Be2 0-0 9.0-0
Re8 10.Nd2
A78 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.Nf3 Bg7 8.Be2 0-0 9.0-0
Re8 10.Nd2 Na6
A79 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.Nf3 Bg7 8.Be2 0-0 9.0-0
Re8 10.Nd2 Na6 11.f3

See also
Franco-Benoni Defence (1.e4 e6 2.d4 c5)

Notes
1. "Whenever I felt in a sorrowful mood and wanted to take refuge from melancholy, I sat over a
chessboard, for one or two hours according to circumstances. Thus this book came into
being, and its name, Ben-Oni, 'Son of Sadness,' should indicate its origin." (Reinganum,
Aaron; Hoeck, Johann Daniel Albrecht [1825]: Ben-Oni oder die Vertheidigungen gegen die
 Gambitzüge im Schache [Son of sorrow or Defenses against Gambits in Chess]. Frankfurt
am Main [Germany]: Hermann.
2. Saint Amant, Le Palamède (https://www.google.com/books/edition/Le_Palam%C3%A8de/P
aRAAAAAcAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Bennoni+Palamede&pg=RA2-PA551&printsec=frontc
over), 1843, p.552
3. Nick Pope, 1843 Staunton-Saint Amant Paris Match (https://www.chessarch.com/archive/18
43.11.14_St._Amant-Staunton/index.shtml), Chess Archaeology
4. "Preston Ware vs Joseph Henry Blackburne (1882)" (http://www.chessgames.com/perl/ches
sgame?gid=1001636). www.chessgames.com.
5. http://www.chesscafe.com/shop/1166_excerpt.pdf
6. "Shakhriyar Mamedyarov vs Benjamin Finegold (2017)" (https://www.chessgames.com/perl/
chessgame?gid=1866226).
7. Hall 1999, p. 225.
8. Bronznik 2011, p. 210.
9. Bronznik 2011, p. 222.

References
Bronznik, Valeri (2011). 1.d4 - Beat the Guerrillas!. Alkmaar: New In Chess. ISBN 978-90-
5691-373-1.
Hall, Jesper (August 1999). "Seek, and thou shalt find!". In Giddins, Steve (ed.). New In
Chess–The First 25 Years. Alkmaar: New In Chess (published 2009). ISBN 978-90-5691-
296-3.

Further reading
Franco, Zenon (2007). Chess Explained: The Modern Benoni. Gambit. ISBN 978-1-904600-
77-0.
Komarov, Dmitry; Djuric, Stefan; Pantaleoni, Claudio (2009). Chess Opening Essentials,
Vol. 3: Indian Defences. New In Chess. ISBN 978-90-5691-270-3.
Norwood, David (1995). The Modern Benoni. Cadogan. ISBN 91-976005-2-0.
Psakhis, Lev (2003). The Complete Benoni. Sterling Pub. ISBN 0-7134-7765-2.
Reinganum, Aaron (1825). Ben-Oni oder die Vertheidigungen gegen die Gambitzüge im
Schache (https://www.google.com/books/edition/Ben_Oni_oder_die_Vertheidigungen_gege
n_d/lKRAAAAAcAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0). Frankfurt: Verlag der Hermannschen Buchhandlung.
Watson, John (2001). The Gambit Guide to the Modern Benoni. Gambit. ISBN 1-901983-23-
4.

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