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16
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Introduction & Outline
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Move 5 Sidelines Video
Move 4 Sidelines Video
Move 3 Sidelines Video
London System Video
Queen Pawn Video
English Video
Reti Video
Other First Moves Video
(1)
Graham
Fresh ideas for a club player’s favourite
This is a great course for the club player on one of the best defences to 1d4, and also covers nearly everything else white might throw at you apart from 1e4. The Benko gambit was my favourite defence against 1.d4 when I played at school over 40 years ago. When I came back to club chess a few years ago (currently c.1900 fide) I was keen to play it again but needed some fresh ideas. So I was really excited to see a ChessGoals course covering the Benko. Matt Jensen and Justin Storn’s inimitable style is conversational but highly instructive and manages to explain all the major concepts in just 100 lines- 10 chapters with 10 lines to learn in each. One of the downsides of the Benko is there are so many possible white deviations before you get to the mainline fully accepted versions- on moves 2,3 4 and 5. Matt and Justin cover all of these and more. There are 5 main chapters on the Benko proper, plus a dedicated chapters on the London, Queen’s pawn oddities- such as the annoying 2Nf3 or 2.c4 and 3.Nf3 or 3 e3; and even the Reti and English have their own chapters. A final chapter covers other non-1e4 first moves including 1b3- where they recommend the provocative 1…g6 in response- and 1f4. There is an exciting suggestion against the English, a kind of reversed Grand Prix with some lines leading to a very quick attack with Harry the h-pawn. The Benko chapters are well explained and give strategic themes throughout with every line ending with a plan going into the middle- and end game. Just a taste of the content from the first chapter on the fully accepted Benko- with the typical two open files occupied by major pieces bearing down on white’s queenside, black needs to improve their knight which often lands on a6 with a timely …Nb4; but if white prevents this with a3 Matt explains we should always welcome this as it softens the white squares allowing a piece to enter on b3. The Benko lends itself really well to this kind of ideas-based course and doesn’t actually require endless memorisation. Highly recommended course covering everything the club player needs to know in an opening that guarantees dynamic play.