A74 · Indian · a defense for Black

Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Full Line

19/19
1.d4Nf62.c4c53.d5e64.Nc3exd55.cxd5d66.e4g67.Nf3Bg78.Be2O-O9.O-Oa610.a4
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Full Line29k games · Black to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
38%11k49%
Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Argentine Counterattack33%9.5k51%
18%5.3k45%
3.4%99344%
2.1%59547%
2.1%59440%
0.7%19437%
0.6%16540%
0.5%15145%
0.4%12161%
Famous games in this line359 master games
Anand, Viswanathan (2765) – Illescas Cordoba, Miguel (2635)19971–0Anand, Viswanathan (2794) – Hernandez, Gilberto (2567)20011–0Le, Quang Liem (2729) – Jobava, Ba (2577)2025½–½Kozul, Zdenko (2593) – Gashimov, Vugar (2703)2008½–½Van Wely, Loek (2653) – Giri, Anish (2642)20101–0Portisch, Lajos (2620) – Kasparov, Garry (2630)1981½–½Taimanov, Mark E (2600) – Stein, Leonid (2605)19710–1Beliavsky, Alexander G (2635) – Romanishin, Oleg M (2570)19851–0
Heroes of this opening Anand, Viswanathan · Van Wely, Loek · Stein, Leonid · Beliavsky, Alexander G
Family
Benoni Defense
Category
Indian
First move
1.d4
ECO
A74
Line
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 e6 4. Nc3 exd5 5. cxd5 d6 6. e4 g6 7. Nf3 Bg7 8. Be2 O-O 9. O-O a6 10. a4
Sharp
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Nearby lines in the family
Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Czerniak Defense, Tal LineA77 9…Re8 10.Nd2Benoni Defense: Four Pawns Attack, Main LineA69 7.f4 Bg7 8.Nf3 O-O 9.Be2 Re8Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Czerniak DefenseA76 9…Re8
From the archives

The name comes from Aaron Reinganum's 1825 book 'Ben-Oni' — Hebrew for 'son of my sorrow,' reportedly written to distract himself from melancholy. Tal made the Modern Benoni a terror in the 1960s: give up the center, then let every piece point at White's queenside like an accusation.

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