Benko Gambit Accepted

ECO A58-A59intermediate

The Benko Gambit Accepted is the purest positional pawn sacrifice in chess: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.bxa6 g6 6.Nc3 Bg7, and Black is simply a pawn down with no immediate threats. What Black gets instead is permanent — two open files aimed at White's queenside, a bishop on the long diagonal, and pressure that does not evaporate if pieces come off. It is one of the few gambits that is arguably stronger in the endgame than in the middlegame.

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Main line

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.bxa6 g6 6.Nc3 Bg7 7.e4 O-O

Diagram shows the position after 6 half-moves of the main line. On SpeakChess you can drill this line move by move — the trainer plays the other side and corrects you instantly, then spaced repetition schedules each variation so you review it right before you would forget it.

Move by move

The first 12 moves of the main line, explained one at a time. Every move of every variation is annotated like this inside the trainer — this page shows the opening moves so you can judge the explanations before signing up.

1.d4 White advances the pawn to d4, staking a claim in the center and giving the bishops and queen room to come out and join the game.
1...Nf6 Black jumps the knight to f6, a very active square. It attacks the d5 square and helps control the center right from the start.
2.c4 White pushes the pawn to c4, building a big center with two pawns side by side. This is the English move that leads to lots of exciting openings.
2...c5 Black pushes the c-pawn to c5, immediately challenging White's center. This bold move sets up the Benko Gambit ideas to come.
3.d5 White advances the d-pawn all the way to d5, claiming extra space in the center. The pawn on d5 becomes a powerful passed pawn that will cause Black problems later.
3...b5 Black pushes the b-pawn to b5, offering it as a gambit! Black gives up a pawn to open the a- and b-files for the rooks to become very active.
4.cxb5 White captures the pawn on b5 with the c-pawn, accepting the gambit. Now White has an extra pawn, but Black will use the open files to put lots of pressure on White's queenside.
4...a6 Black advances the a-pawn to a6, immediately attacking White's pawn on b5. Black wants to keep opening files on the queenside to get the rooks active.
5.bxa6 White captures the pawn on a6 with the b-pawn. White grabs another pawn, but now the a6 pawn is deep in Black's territory, which could cause problems.
5...g6 Black nudges the pawn to g6, making room for the bishop to come to g7. This fianchetto will give Black a powerful bishop aiming all the way across the board.
6.Nc3 Nice job developing your knight from b1 to c3, a dark square! It now sits on a strong spot near the middle of the board, helping you get ready for the game ahead. Bringing your pieces out early like this is a smart plan.
6...Bg7 Black develops the bishop to g7, completing the fianchetto. This bishop is now a real powerhouse, shooting down the long diagonal and eyeing White's queenside.

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Win rates by rating

Results from real online games, measured after the line shown in each row. Most opening sites show one aggregate number — how an opening scores depends heavily on who is playing it.

Rating	Games	White wins	Draws	Black wins	Position after
400-600	69	47.8%	1.4%	50.7%	1.d4 Nf6 2.c4
600-800	41	58.5%	0%	41.5%	1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5
800-1000	26	50%	0%	50%	1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.bxa6
1000-1200	38	52.6%	5.3%	42.1%	1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5
1200-1400	43	48.8%	2.3%	48.8%	1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.bxa6 g6 6.Nc3 Bg7
1400-1600	258	42.6%	3.9%	53.5%	1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.bxa6 g6 6.Nc3 Bg7
1600-1800	91	44%	2.2%	53.8%	1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.bxa6 g6 6.Nc3 Bg7
1800-2000	362	41.4%	4.4%	54.1%	1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.bxa6 g6 6.Nc3 Bg7
2000-2200	810	42.8%	5.4%	51.7%	1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.bxa6 g6 6.Nc3 Bg7
2200-2400	826	42.5%	7.8%	49.8%	1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.bxa6 g6 6.Nc3 Bg7

Most played continuations (2200-2400 rating)

After 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.bxa6 g6 6.Nc3 Bg7:

e4 — played 68.3% of the time (White wins 40.8%, draws 8.9%, Black wins 50.4%)
Nf3 — played 14.6% of the time (White wins 42.1%, draws 5%, Black wins 52.9%)
g3 — played 10.5% of the time (White wins 48.3%, draws 4.6%, Black wins 47.1%)

Frequently asked questions

Why is the Benko worth a whole pawn?

Because the compensation never expires. The a- and b-files stay open for the rest of the game, the g7 bishop rakes across the board, and White's queenside pawns are permanently awkward to defend. Most gambits die if you trade queens; the Benko gets better, which is why players who like it tend to like it a lot.

How does White handle the Benko?

Three broad approaches: accept fully and try to consolidate with e4, Nf3 and a careful king walk to safety; accept and return the pawn at the right moment to kill the pressure; or decline with 4.Nf3 or 4.b3 and avoid the structure entirely. Many strong White players prefer declining precisely because the accepted lines are so unpleasant to defend.

Is the Benko good for club players?

Excellent, for the right temperament. The plans are simple and repeat every game — rooks to a8 and b8, bishop to g7, knights to d7 and c5 — so it takes far less theory than the Modern Benoni. It suits players comfortable being materially down in exchange for permanent activity, and frustrates opponents who like to count pawns.