I'm going to push d4-d5, because I don't want to chicken out completely, but if I take on b5 and a6 I have a feeling my opponent is always going to know the position better than me... So maybe take only one pawn? There are some goofy lines with 5.f3... Or decline the gambit altogether? 4.Qc2 seems to score well... I don't know, how can I surprise Black in "their" opening? Ideas?
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 b5 4 cxb5 a6 5 b6 should suit you just fine.
Very playable game and Black will study it but not get most of his or her rating points from it.
I worked the Benko out to a forced draw but this is a line that one really has to know well (if they do then oh well).
Anyone else willing to share their secret prep?
@ShiningDrongo said in #3:
> Anyone else willing to share their secret prep?
LOL my books and videos are not secret!
LOL trust me we know all about them
@ShiningDrongo said in #5:
> LOL trust me we know all about them
Well I didn't call them secret!
Instead of concrete lines, I give some strategic ideas:
* Accept the gambit. Everything else causes no problems for black, usually due to e7-e6 sooner or later.
* If he played Ba6xf1, bring your king to a safe place on the king side, by playing g3 and Kf1-g2.
* play a4. If necessary, protect e4, ideally with queen e2 (later she often goes to c2). Play Nb5, closing the b-file. If he brings his queen to b4, you can sometimes sacrifice the b2 pawn with Bd2 and catch his queen with rb1 if she takes.
* play Ra3 (prevents xb5 tactics), if necessary, b3.
* Try to play Nf3-d2-c4(-e3(-f5)).
* Often bishop c1 goes the route (g5-)d2-c3. Sometimes also to e3, where he pins the c5 pawn against a Qb6, threatening b4.
* If he plays c4, hooray, you get the d4 square for your knights and bishop.
* If he puts all his pieces on queen side, check if you can do a quick attack on the king side with h4, g4.
* If he plays on the king side, push the a-pawn.
* Always check if you can play e4-e5.
* Always check if you can play b4.
* Watch for black e7-e6 ideas. Don't be afraid of them, but be prepared for them.
* Watch for Ne1+ (damn, I dropped my queen so often that way).
Yeah I'm familiar with this King fianchetto, a very useful maneuver. Thanks a lot, love your compact writing!
Thanks for feedback, @ShiningDrongo
If you accept that Benko Gambit is a draw with perfect play, then you can play the main line Benko Gambit Declined, and trick the Benko gambit player with a position you are familiar with but they aren't.
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