Benko Gambit

ECO A57-A59intermediate

The Benko Gambit, 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5, is the most positional pawn sacrifice in chess: Black gives up the b-pawn not for an attack, but for the permanently open a- and b-files, where rooks and the a6 bishop generate pressure that lasts deep into the endgame — Benko endgames a pawn down are notoriously fine for Black. White's challenge is converting the extra pawn before the queenside grind dissolves it; the modern fianchetto and e4-with-h3 systems are the main attempts.

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Main line

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

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.

White advances the pawn to d4, staking a claim in the center right away and giving the bishops and queen room to come out and play.
Black brings the knight to f6, a great central square. It attacks the d5 pawn and helps control important squares in the middle of the board.
White plays c4, adding a second pawn to the center. This is the English-style setup that gives White a strong grip on the middle squares.
Black pushes the pawn to c5, challenging White's center. Black wants to fight for control of the important central squares right away.
White advances the pawn all the way to d5, locking the center and grabbing space. Now White has a strong pawn pointing deep into Black's side.
Black pushes the pawn to b5 — this is the Benko Gambit! Black offers a pawn to open lines on the queenside and get active piece play.
White captures the pawn on b5 with the c-pawn, accepting the gambit. White is up a pawn but Black will try to use the open files for activity.
Black advances the a-pawn to a6, attacking the b5 pawn and asking White what to do with it. This is a key move in the Benko Gambit.
White pushes the pawn forward to b6, marching it deep into Black's territory. This bold advance keeps the pressure on Black's queenside.
Black pushes the pawn to d6, opening a path for the bishop and supporting the center. Black is getting ready to develop the pieces.
The knight leaps to c3, a powerful central square. It develops quickly and supports the d5 pawn while eyeing important squares in the middle.
Black brings the knight from b8 to d7, developing toward the center. From d7 it can jump to useful squares and help support the other pieces.

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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	59	47.5%	3.4%	49.2%	1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6
1000-1200	38	52.6%	5.3%	42.1%	1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5
1200-1400	63	49.2%	0%	50.8%	1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.b6
1400-1600	32	25%	0%	75%	1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.b6 d6 6.Nc3
1600-1800	212	48.1%	1.9%	50%	1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.b6
1800-2000	39	51.3%	0%	48.7%	1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.b6 d6 6.Nc3 Nbd7
2000-2200	164	50.6%	4.3%	45.1%	1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.b6 d6 6.Nc3 Nbd7
2200-2400	192	49.5%	5.7%	44.8%	1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.b6 d6 6.Nc3 Nbd7

Most played continuations (1600-1800 rating)

After 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.b6:

Qxb6 — played 66% of the time (White wins 47.1%, draws 2.9%, Black wins 50%)
g6 — played 15.6% of the time (White wins 57.6%, draws 0%, Black wins 42.4%)
d6 — played 10.8% of the time (White wins 43.5%, draws 0%, Black wins 56.5%)

Frequently asked questions

Why would Black sacrifice a pawn with no attack in sight?

Because the compensation is structural, not tactical: every White queenside pawn sits on an open file under x-ray pressure, the g7 bishop bears down the long diagonal, and Black's position plays itself (...Ba6, ...Qa5/...Qb6, rooks to a8 and b8). It is the rare gambit where simplification favors the gambiteer.

Should White accept or decline the Benko?

Accepting with 4.cxb5 a6 5.bxa6 is critical but walks into Black's whole idea; many strong players prefer declining setups — 4.Nf3, the 5.b6 return, or the Zaitsev 4.Nc3 — keeping the extra-tempo initiative instead of the pawn. Both approaches are theoretically healthy; the choice is stylistic.