Author: Nicolai V. Pedersen

Everyman Chess (2011)

208 pages

$20.95

Reviewed by John Donaldson

PLAY THE BENKO GAMBIT by the Danish IM Nicolai V. Pedersen is one stop shopping for those interested in an up to date answer to 1.d4. The author examines not only the Benko Gambit (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5) but what he calls the Topalov Variation against 2.Nf3 which goes 2...c5 3.d5 b5 4.Bg5 Ne4.

Against the Anti-Benko treatment (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.Nf3) Pedersen proposes the sharp Kasparov gambit (3...cxd4 4.Nxd4 e5 5.Nb5 d5 6.cxd5 Bc5), favored by Garry in his younger days. The author also takes a quick look at 3.e3 and 3.c3 as alternatives to 3.d5 (after 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 c5) and finds them wanting. The only thing missing from a totally complete weapon to 1.d4 are lines against the Trompovsky and Veresov. A 208-page book primarily devoted to the Benko cannot be expected to cover everything.

This is the first book on the Benko that I am aware of since Jan Pinski’s 2005 work for Quality Chess, and Pedersen fills a gap. He is current and up to date in presenting contemporary theory in 49 well-annotated games. The author is also objective. One example is that a small problem with the Benko - purely from a practical rather than a theoretical point - is that White can pretty much simplify his way to a draw in the main line after 3...b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.bxa6 g6 6.Nc3 Bxa6 7.nf3 d6 8.e4 Bxf1 9.Kxf1 Nbd7 10.g3 Bg7 11.Kg2 0-0 12.h3 Qb6 13.Re1 Rfb8 14.e5 dxe5 15.Nxe5 Nxe5 16.Rxe5 Qb7 17.Qf3 Rd8 18.Bg5 h6 19.Bxf6 Bxf6 20.Re2 Bxc3 21.bxc3 Qxd5 22.Qxd5 Rxd5 23.Rxe7 Ra3 when Black is winning back the pawn and a draw is very likely. The author shows how Black can try alternatives to 12...Qb6, but admits that objectively it is Black’s best move.

While PLAY THE BENKO GAMBIT covers all the existing theory, it is also user friendly with plenty of explanatory prose and tips to enable the first timer to get a quick handle on this opening. Plays from 1800 to 2400 will benefit from it.

Recommended

Contents:

Bibliography 4

Introduction 5

Benko Accepted

1 The Fianchetto Variation 12

2 The Classical Variation 33

3 The ‘Quiet’ 5 e3 73

Benko Declined

4 The 5 f3 Variation 85

5 White plays b5-b6 99

6 Other Options for White 114

Anti-Benko

7 The Kasparov Gambit 149

8 The Topalov Variation 173

Index of Variations 202

Index of Complete Games 207

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