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Czech Benoni experiment at Blitz

Czech Benoni experiment at Blitz

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starting to play around with this defence. Thought I was winning for a while here but sadly it all went wrong. Any comments? Anyone play this defence?

from the little reading I have done it seems that f4 is key and black sholuld strive to get a knight outpost there. (Hence the long journey of my Q's N.)

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This is a very interesting game- I loved playing through it, but I won't have anything constructive to add until I can spend more time with it this weekend.

Offhand, I thought it was wise that white refrained from an early Nf3 and prevented ...Bg4-xf3, although whether or not that thematic Benoni bishop trade is truly applicable here is something I wonder.

I think you had a good position, but it looks like blitz tactics asserted themselves as usual.

At blitz, if you are the better tactician, any opening is a weapon.

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I only know the basics of this defense, no concrete lines or anything:

- Try and exchange off some pieces to ease the cramp, particularly your bad dark-squared bishop. After 2 exchanges the space advantage isn't so relevant.

- White's bad piece is his light-squared bishop, it'll often be staring at pawns on e3. Don't lop it off because, "bishops are better than knights." Instead challenge white to prove it (tough assignment).

- Depending on what your opponent does, your pawn break is either b5 or f5 but rarely both. Often times play can turn into a favorable King's Indian or Benko... In such situations try and apply what you've seen in those openings as you probably know them better at this point. Also more GM games in those openings...

- You want to get rid of your pawns on c5 and e5. Often times it's worth sac'ing one of these pawns to get a knight there instead. If you're down a pawn but have a knight on e5, while white is stuck with his lame light-squared bishop, you're at least equal and probably better:



- One of my favorite games of all time occurred in this defense, but it's a black loss (Boris Spassky vs Theodor Ghitescu):

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Originally posted by wolfgang59
starting to play around with this defence. Thought I was winning for a while here but sadly it all went wrong. Any comments? Anyone play this defence?

from the little reading I have done it seems that f4 is key and black sholuld strive to get a knight outpost there. (Hence the long journey of my Q's N.)
[pgn]
1. d2-d4 Ng8-f6 2. c2-c4 c7-c5 3. d4-d5 e ...[text shortened]... 27. Qf3-f7 Qe5-e7 28. Be2xg4 Rh4xg4 29. Qf7xe7 Kd7xe7 30. Rf8xa8 Rg4xe4 31. Rg1xg5 1-0
[/pgn]
move 22. ever think about sacking your bishop for his pawn... not sure what the time situation was but at least you would've got to castle and bring your other rook into play, that and having the possibility to attack with your pawns. didn't really look at it though tbh. interesting game though.

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Originally posted by Elmyr
I only know the basics of this defense, no concrete lines or anything:

- Try and exchange off some pieces to ease the cramp, particularly your bad dark-squared bishop. After 2 exchanges the space advantage isn't so relevant.

- White's bad piece is his light-squared bishop, it'll often be staring at pawns on e3. Don't lop it off because, "bishops are bett ...[text shortened]... te's center comes crashing down.} 1-0[/pgn]
Thanks for the comments.
I know I should trade my bad dark-squared bishop (and did that on move 12)
Obviously White's bad piece is his light-squared bishop and I let him keep that!!

The Spasky game was very interesting - must admit I have sometimes found myself squeezed to death! Advancing the h pawn does seem to create "something" though and provide some space. (Fortunately I am finding most opponents are castling K=side)

Thanks again.

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Originally posted by trev33
move 22. ever think about sacking your bishop for his pawn... not sure what the time situation was but at least you would've got to castle and bring your other rook into play, that and having the possibility to attack with your pawns. didn't really look at it though tbh. interesting game though.
I dont understand the bishop sac? He takes with rook and my Q is chased away. 😳

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Originally posted by wolfgang59
I dont understand the bishop sac? He takes with rook and my Q is chased away. 😳
you're right of course... i have seemed to have done my usual 4am tactic of 'i want him to move here, so therefore he will...' when making moves 😞

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Originally posted by trev33
you're right of course... i have seemed to have done my usual 4am tactic of 'i want him to move here, so therefore he will...' when making moves 😞
No problem ... I do that every day

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I quite like the modern benoni. I just was playing this against a quite strong opponent I agreed a draw because he/she had to leave but I believe I had a slight edge. I don't think many people are well versed in the modern because after Kasparov swept away Nunn the line became unpopular but I believe there must be improvements on that game.
here is the Kasparov-Nunn game. Not sure who the comments are from.



here is my game.


I like moving the F knight back to d7 because it discovers the bishop on the important e5 square limiting white from pushing that central majority. If you can stop that you can later reorganize your pieces to let the knight out... you have to have strategical priorities in this game. You want to push your queenside majority, get your knights active via e5 and/or c5(after pushing or saccing that pawn) and most of the time your bishops both come to the long diagonaly... if you notice e5 is a very important square because it is a good pivot for your knights plus white is trying to push his pawn there.

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Another Czech Benoni blitz game.

I stumbled in middle game but cheated him out of a win with some aggressive play.

Comments?

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Originally posted by wolfgang59
starting to play around with this defence. Thought I was winning for a while here but sadly it all went wrong. Any comments? Anyone play this defence?

from the little reading I have done it seems that f4 is key and black sholuld strive to get a knight outpost there. (Hence the long journey of my Q's N.)
[pgn]
1. d2-d4 Ng8-f6 2. c2-c4 c7-c5 3. d4-d5 e ...[text shortened]... 27. Qf3-f7 Qe5-e7 28. Be2xg4 Rh4xg4 29. Qf7xe7 Kd7xe7 30. Rf8xa8 Rg4xe4 31. Rg1xg5 1-0
[/pgn]
I am sorry about the delay in commenting on this game, but my wife has had some medical issues that have slowed me up a bit.

In the game, 6. a3 is a novelty, but it is flawed because black can play ...Nxd5 with a discovered attack on the underprotected g5 bishop, winning a valuable center pawn.

It also has the effect of potentially trading black's bad bishop for white's good one.
If white plays 7. Bxe7, then ...Nxe7 keeps the pawn. Backward knight moves like this are difficult to find sometimes, but they often lead to decisive "two-movers" if you can find them!

Here's a recent game (both players are the highest rated I could find for each side- very conveniently playing each other!) with the apparently more normal 6. Nf3 (6. e3 is the most popular move, but the average rating is lower):

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Originally posted by wolfgang59
Another Czech Benoni blitz game.

I stumbled in middle game but cheated him out of a win with some aggressive play.

Comments?
[pgn]

[Event "uChess rated"]
[Site "www.uchess.com"]
[Date "2011.9.11"]
[Round "?"]
[White "splinter2011"]
[Black "wolfgang59"]
[Result "0-1"]

1. d2-d4 Ng8-f6 2. c2-c4 c7-c5 3. d4-d5 e7-e5 4. Nb1-c3 d7-d6 5. Bc1- ...[text shortened]... Qf3-d1 Qc1xc4 37. Kf1-g1 Qc4xe4 38. Kg1-f1 Qe4-g2 39. Kf1-e1 Qg2xf2 0-1

[/pgn]
I just noticed that same 6. a3 move- next time it appears, punish it!

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Originally posted by wolfgang59
starting to play around with this defence. Thought I was winning for a while here but sadly it all went wrong. Any comments? Anyone play this defence?

from the little reading I have done it seems that f4 is key and black sholuld strive to get a knight outpost there. (Hence the long journey of my Q's N.)
[pgn]
1. d2-d4 Ng8-f6 2. c2-c4 c7-c5 3. d4-d5 e ...[text shortened]... 27. Qf3-f7 Qe5-e7 28. Be2xg4 Rh4xg4 29. Qf7xe7 Kd7xe7 30. Rf8xa8 Rg4xe4 31. Rg1xg5 1-0
[/pgn]
Why not 21...xg2?

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Originally posted by USArmyParatrooper
Why not 21...xg2?
on move 21 nothing can take on g2. En passant doesn't apply here as the pawn is on the third rank not the fourth rank.

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Originally posted by tomtom232
on move 21 nothing can take on g2. En passant doesn't apply here as the pawn is on the third rank not the fourth rank.
woops, I looked at it wrong.