A57 Benko Gambit
A57 holds 15 named lines, all under the name Benko Gambit. It leaves A56 (Benoni Defense) with 3.d5 b5. Material is no longer level at the end of five of its lines; the widest gap, one pawn in White’s favour, comes in Benko Gambit Accepted. That final move, by the b-pawn, covers a4 and c4 and opens a line for the bishop on c8.
| # | White | Black |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | d4 | Nf6 |
| 2 | c4 | c5 |
| 3 | d5 | b5 |
Lines filed under A57
All 15 share their first six plies, the whole reference line and then split eight ways at White’s move 4.
| Name | After the shared start | Plies | At the end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benko Gambit | (the shared start itself) | 6 | |
| Benko Gambit Declined: Bishop Attack | 4.Bg5 | 7 | |
| Benko Gambit Declined: Hjørring Countergambit | 4.e4 | 7 | |
| Benko Gambit Declined: Main Line | 4.Nf3 | 7 | |
| Benko Gambit Declined: Pseudo-Sämisch | 4.f3 | 7 | |
| Benko Gambit Declined: Quiet Line | 4.Nd2 | 7 | |
| Benko Gambit Declined: Sosonko Variation | 4.a4 | 7 | |
| Benko Gambit: Mutkin Countergambit | 4.g4 | 7 | |
| Benko Gambit Accepted | 4.cxb5 a6 | 8 | White +1 |
| Benko Gambit Accepted: Dlugy Variation | 4.cxb5 a6 5.f3 | 9 | White +1 |
| Benko Gambit Accepted: Modern Variation | 4.cxb5 a6 5.e3 | 9 | White +1 |
| Benko Gambit Accepted: Pawn Return Variation | 4.cxb5 a6 5.b6 | 9 | White +1 |
| Benko Gambit: Zaitsev System | 4.cxb5 a6 5.Nc3 | 9 | White +1 |
| Benko Gambit: Zaitsev Variation, Nescafe Frappe Attack | 4.cxb5 a6 5.Nc3 axb5 6.e4 b4 7.Nb5 | 13 | |
| Benko Gambit: Nescafe Frappe Attack | 4.cxb5 a6 5.Nc3 axb5 6.e4 b4 7.Nb5 d6 8.Bc4 | 15 |
The road to A57
- 1.d4 … 1...Nf6two earlier stops: A40, A45
- 2.c4A50 Normal Variation
- 2...c5A56 Benoni Defense
- 3...b5A57
The position after 3...b5
Black has brought out the knight on f6; White has not yet moved a knight or bishop. White could capture with cxb5. Undefended and attacked: the pawn on b5. White is to move and has 31 legal moves.
Codes that branch off from A57
The reference lines of one other code leave A57 from the position after 4...a6, each with its own moves.
| Code | Moves | Reference line |
|---|---|---|
| A58 | 5.bxa6 | Benko Gambit Accepted: Fully Accepted Variation |
Closest boards in other codes
| Code | Line | Differs on |
|---|---|---|
| A60 | Benoni Defense: Modern Variation | four squares: b5, e6, b7, e7 |
| A15 | English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense | six squares: d2, b5, c5, d5, b7, c7 |
| A30 | English Opening: Symmetrical Variation | six squares: d2, b5, d5, f6, b7, g8 |
| A31 | English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Anti-Benoni Variation | six squares: g1, f3, d4, b5, d5, b7 |
| A50 | Indian Defense: Normal Variation | six squares: d4, b5, c5, d5, b7, c7 |
| A10 | English Opening | eight squares: d2, b5, c5, d5, f6, b7, c7, g8 |
| A11 | English Opening: Caro-Kann Defensive System | eight squares: d2, b5, c5, d5, c6, f6, b7, g8 |
Where lines continue from here
Nine named lines filed under other codes pass through the position after 3...b5. Besides the codes above, they belong to A59.