Benoni Defense: King's Pawn Line

ECO A65intermediate

With 6.e4 White accepts the Benoni's invitation and builds the big centre the opening is designed to provoke. This is the structure every Benoni player must understand: White has pawns on d5 and e4 and more space, Black has the half-open e-file, the queenside majority and the g7-bishop. From here the game splits into the known main lines depending on how White develops, but the strategic terms are already fixed, and they favour whoever executes their break first.

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Main line

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.Bd3 Bg7

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 strong claim in the center and opening paths for the bishop and queen to develop.
1...Nf6 Nice start! Your knight hops out from its corner to f6, a dark square. Bringing a knight into the game early is a smart idea, since it helps you watch the middle of the board and gets you ready for the fun ahead.
2.c4 White pushes the pawn to c4, grabbing more space in the center. Together with d4, these two pawns form a powerful duo controlling key squares.
2...c5 Black challenges the center with c5, poking at White's pawn on d4. This is the start of the Benoni — Black fights back for central space.
3.d5 White advances the pawn all the way to d5, staking out a large chunk of the center. This gives White a space advantage and sets up a long-term plan.
3...e6 Black pushes the pawn to e6, trying to challenge White's advanced pawn on d5. Black is looking to open up the center and free the pieces.
4.Nc3 White develops the knight to c3, a strong central square. The knight supports the d5 pawn and helps control important squares in the middle.
4...exd5 Black captures the pawn on d5 with the e-pawn. By taking on d5, Black removes White's advanced pawn and opens lines for development.
5.cxd5 White recaptures on d5 with the c-pawn. Now White has a strong passed pawn in the center that can be very difficult for Black to deal with.
5...d6 Black pushes the pawn to d6, blocking White's passed pawn and making room for the pieces. This is a key Benoni structure move.
6.e4 White pushes the pawn to e4, taking even more space in the center. Now White has pawns on d5 and e4, creating a big space advantage.
6...g6 Black prepares to fianchetto the bishop by pushing the pawn to g6. This sets up a powerful diagonal for the bishop to go to g7.

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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	42	45.2%	2.4%	52.4%	1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4
800-1000	96	35.4%	3.1%	61.5%	1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6
1000-1200	64	40.6%	3.1%	56.3%	1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6
1200-1400	1,952	48.5%	1.8%	49.7%	1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6
1400-1600	7,447	48%	2.6%	49.4%	1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6
1600-1800	2,171	46.5%	2.8%	50.7%	1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6
1800-2000	5,023	47.2%	3.3%	49.5%	1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6
2000-2200	6,954	48.2%	4.1%	47.7%	1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6
2200-2400	4,329	48.9%	4.8%	46.3%	1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6

Most played continuations (1400-1600 rating)

After 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6:

Nf3 — played 24.9% of the time (White wins 46.5%, draws 3.4%, Black wins 50.1%)
Bg5 — played 23.8% of the time (White wins 49.2%, draws 2%, Black wins 48.7%)
Bd3 — played 17.1% of the time (White wins 47.7%, draws 2.6%, Black wins 49.7%)

Frequently asked questions

What is the pawn structure telling both sides to do?

White's pawns on d5 and e4 point at the kingside, so White attacks there, usually with f4 and e5. Black's majority points at the queenside, so Black plays ...a6 and ...b5. This is the same logic that governs the King's Indian, and the same race decides it — whoever gets there first is usually winning.

Is the hole on d6 a serious weakness?

It is a permanent one, which is different from a fatal one. White would love a knight on d6 and spends real effort trying to arrange it; Black spends real effort preventing it. The concession is priced in — Black accepted it in exchange for the majority and the diagonal, and the middlegame is where the bill is settled.

How does Black handle White's f4 and e5 push?

Usually by making it premature. ...Re8 hitting the e-file, ...Ng4 or ...Nh5 hitting f4, and timely piece pressure on e5 mean the break costs White more than it gains if it comes too early. The Benoni is rarely lost because White plays e5 — it is lost when Black allows it under good circumstances.