Benoni Defense: Old Benoni

Main line

1.d4 c5 2.d5 e5 3.e4 d6 4.Nc3 a6 5.a4 Be7 6.Nf3 Bg4 7.Be2 Bxf3

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. 1.d4 White advances the pawn to d4, staking a claim in the center and giving the bishop and queen room to develop.
2. 1...c5 Black pushes the pawn to c5, immediately challenging White's center pawn and fighting for control of the middle of the board.
3. 2.d5 White advances the pawn to d5, locking the center and gaining space. This is the key move of the Old Benoni — White grabs a big chunk of the board!
4. 2...e5 Black pushes the pawn to e5, staking space on the kingside and setting up a blocked pawn chain in the center.
5. 3.e4 White advances the pawn to e4, building a strong pawn wall across the center with pawns on d5 and e4. White now controls a lot of space.
6. 3...d6 Black plays d6, supporting the e5 pawn and keeping the center stable. This also opens a path for the dark-squared bishop to develop later.
7. 4.Nc3 The knight jumps to c3, a great central square where it supports the d5 pawn and puts pressure on the middle of the board.
8. 4...a6 Black nudges the pawn to a6, making space on the queenside and preparing to expand with b5 later in the game.
9. 5.a4 White advances the pawn to a4, stopping Black from playing b5 and keeping a firm grip on the queenside.
10. 5...Be7 Black develops the bishop to e7, a solid square where it helps prepare for kingside castling and keeps the king safe.
11. 6.Nf3 The knight hops to f3, a strong central square. It guards key squares in the middle and helps White finish developing the pieces.
12. 6...Bg4 Black brings the bishop to g4, pinning the White knight on f3 against the queen. This puts some pressure on White's setup.

Open the full annotated variation tree — free account

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.

Most played continuations (400-600 rating)

After 1.d4 c5:

• dxc5 — played 51.6% of the time (White wins 47.8%, draws 17.4%, Black wins 34.8%)
• Nf3 — played 9.6% of the time (White wins 55.8%, draws 7%, Black wins 37.2%)
• e3 — played 8.7% of the time (White wins 43.6%, draws 12.8%, Black wins 43.6%)

Frequently asked questions

How is the Old Benoni different from the Modern Benoni?

Move order and structure. The Modern Benoni goes 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6, trading on d5 to create the famous 4-versus-3 queenside majority and a fianchettoed bishop on g7. The Old Benoni plays ...c5 at once and often keeps the centre locked with ...e5, producing a slower, more closed game with kingside play rather than a queenside pawn roll.

Is the Old Benoni sound?

It is playable but respected rather than fashionable. Playing ...c5 before developing gives White a free hand to occupy the centre with e4 and build up, and Black's counterplay takes a long time to arrive. In practice it works well as a surprise weapon, especially against opponents whose preparation assumes an early ...Nf6.

What is Black's plan in the locked positions?

Prepare ...f5. With the centre closed, the only way to open lines is a pawn break, and ...f5 is the one that creates play against White's king. Black usually reroutes a knight to f6 or e8, gets the king castled, and only then breaks. Rushing ...f5 before development is complete is the standard way to lose these positions.