A44 Benoni Defense: Old Benoni
A44 holds two named lines, all under the name Benoni Defense. It leaves A43, a position of the same name, with 2...e5. At four plies, its reference line is the second-shortest of the 23 Benoni Defense codes. White’s pieces and pawns attack five squares in Black’s half, the third-lowest count of the 23 Benoni Defense codes. White, to move in that position, has 30 legal moves, the third-lowest count of the 23 Benoni Defense codes.
| # | White | Black |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | d4 | c5 |
| 2 | d5 | e5 |
Moves only A44 plays
Same as A43 up to 1...c5, then:
- 2.d5 The d-pawn advances to d5, covering c6 and e6, opening a line for the queen on d1.
- 2...e5 The e-pawn advances two squares to e5, covering d4 and f4, opening a line for the queen on d8 and the bishop on f8.
Lines filed under A44
Both share their first four plies, the whole reference line.
| Name | After the shared start | Plies |
|---|---|---|
| Benoni Defense: Old Benoni | (the shared start itself) | 4 |
| Benoni Defense: Semi-Benoni | 3.e4 d6 | 6 |
Benoni Defense: Semi-Benoni
- 3.e4 The e-pawn advances two squares to e4, covering d5 and f5, opening a line for the queen on d1 and the bishop on f1.
- 3...d6 The d-pawn advances to d6, covering c5 and e5, opening a line for the bishop on c8 and the queen on d8.
The road to A44
- 1.d4one earlier stop: A40
- 1...c5A43 Old Benoni
- 2.d5A43 Old Benoni
- 2...e5A44
The position after 2...e5
White could capture with dxe6.
Closest boards in other codes
| Code | Line | Differs on |
|---|---|---|
| A20 | English Opening: King’s English Variation | six squares: c2, d2, c4, c5, d5, c7 |
| A30 | English Opening: Symmetrical Variation | six squares: c2, d2, c4, d5, e5, e7 |
| A40 | Queen’s Pawn Game | six squares: d4, c5, d5, e5, c7, e7 |
| A60 | Benoni Defense: Modern Variation | six squares: c2, c4, e5, e6, f6, g8 |
| B20 | Sicilian Defense | six squares: d2, e2, e4, d5, e5, e7 |
| C20 | King’s Pawn Game | six squares: d2, e2, e4, c5, d5, c7 |
| B13 | Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange Variation | seven squares: e2, d4, c5, e5, c6, d7, e7 |