Modern Benoni

I've read critisism of this for black but I was getting a bit disillusioned with Kings Indian not getting me the results I wanted so switched back to this after a break of 20 years.

First 12 games as black W 8 D 4 L 0 against average opposition rated 1716.

Compare this to my performance as black against the Ruy Lopez
P16 W10 D4 L2 against much weaker average opponents and I'm beginning to feel this is a mighty weapon for black against d4

As an example heres a game with no serious blunders Game 2417602;
whereas in Game 2505382 I think I got slightly lucky but which move lost this for white!

Originally posted by Dragon Fire
I've read critisism of this for black but I was getting a bit disillusioned with Kings Indian not getting me the results I wanted so switched back to this after a break of 20 years.

First 12 games as black W 8 D 4 L 0 against average opposition rated 1716.

Compare this to my performance as black against the Ruy Lopez
P16 W10 D4 L2 against much wea ...[text shortened]... whereas in Game 2505382 I think I got slightly lucky but which move lost this for white!

Tal used it a lot, so it can't be too bad.

Originally posted by cmsMaster
Tal used it a lot, so it can't be too bad.

Haha, yes it can! Just because Tal used it doesn't mean people haven't found better since. Tal never faced the Flick Knife Variation (I think). Even so, I still love the Modern Benoni, and even though I take some savage beatings sometimes, I still love to play it and screw around.

Originally posted by !~TONY~!
Haha, yes it can! Just because Tal used it doesn't mean people haven't found better since. Tal never faced the Flick Knife Variation (I think). Even so, I still love the Modern Benoni, and even though I take some savage beatings sometimes, I still love to play it and screw around.

😛 I do tend to play risky, if not somewhat dubious openings, don't I? I think there's still life left in the Modern Benoni - The Benoni in general has plenty of life left. I'm going to look up this "Flick Knife variation" to see what all the fuss is about.

BTW: I'll play what Tal played no matter how dubious 😛

Hahaha. I am sure you would love the ..Nbd7 lines in response to Bb5+. They are completely insane.

Originally posted by !~TONY~!
Hahaha. I am sure you would love the ..Nbd7 lines in response to Bb5+. They are completely insane.

Insane is my style. 😀 I had a really fun friendly game the other night where I played a whole bunch of insane moves (Didn't take a mate in one, and sacced my queen, and still got a winning position - but I resigned because I couldn't find the winning move very quickly and I had to go 😛)

EDIT: Here's the PGN 😀. I couldn't find Be6, so I gave him the mate 😉. It looks like a couple of 1200's playing 😛

[Event "rated standard match"]
[Site "Free Internet Chess Server"]
[Date "2006.09.21"]
[Round "?"]
[White "CMSBones"]
[Black "itsatimemachine"]
[Result "*"]
[WhiteElo "1391"]
[BlackElo "1495P"]
[ECO "C31"]
[TimeControl "1200"]

1. e4 e5 2. f4 d5 3. exd5 exf4 4. Nc3 Bd6 5. d4 Nf6 6. Nf3 Bg4 7. Bc4 O-O 8.
O-O Bf5 9. Ne5 Nbd7 10. Bxf4 Ne4 11. Bh6 $2 {Crafty (score -0.47 at depth 8)
thinks this is not a good move} ({Crafty suggests:} 11. Qd3 Nxc3 12. Qxf5
Nxe5 13. Bxe5 Bxe5 14. Qxe5 Re8 15. Qf5 $18 {(score 1.89 at depth 8)} ) Bxe5
12. Rxf5 Bxd4+ $4 {Crafty (score 6.39 at depth 9) thinks this is a blunder}
({Crafty suggests:} 12. ... Bxh2+ 13. Kxh2 Qh4+ 14. Kg1 Nxc3 15. Qd2 Nb6 16.
Qxc3 Qxh6 17. Re1 Nxc4 18. Qxc4 $11 {(score 0.00 at depth 8)} ) 13. Qxd4 Nd6
$4 {This offers a mate in 1 to the opponent} ({Crafty suggests:} 13. ... gxh6
14. Nxe4 a6 15. Rf3 f6 16. d6+ Kh8 17. Raf1 Ne5 $18 {(score 6.43 at depth 8)}
) 14. Qg4 $4 {Mate in 1 missed} (14. Qxg7# {(score 327.66 at depth 2)} ) Nxf5
15. Qxf5 Qf6 $2 {Crafty (score 3.42 at depth 10) thinks this is not a good
move} ({Crafty suggests:} 15. ... gxh6 16. Bd3 Nf6 17. Ne4 Ne8 18. Nd6 Nf6
19. Nxb7 Qxd5 20. Qxf6 Qxb7 21. Qxh6 $11 {(score 0.02 at depth 9)} ) 16. Qxd7
Qxh6 17. Qxc7 Qe3+ 18. Kh1 Rfe8 $2 {Crafty (score 3.95 at depth 9) thinks
this is not a good move} ({Crafty suggests:} 18. ... Rac8 19. Qxb7 Rxc4 20.
d6 Qc5 21. Qe7 Rd4 22. Rd1 Rxd1+ 23. Nxd1 Qxc2 $14 {(score 0.33 at depth 9)}
) 19. Rf1 Re7 20. d6 $4 {Crafty (score -0.66 at depth 10) thinks this is a
blunder} ({Crafty suggests:} 20. Qf4 Qxf4 21. Rxf4 Re1+ 22. Rf1 Rxf1+ 23.
Bxf1 Rd8 24. Kg1 Rd6 25. Kf2 Kf8 $18 {(score 4.01 at depth 9)} ) Rxc7 21.
dxc7 Rc8 22. Bxf7+ Kh8 23. Nd5 Qe5 24. a3 Qxb2 25. Be6 Re8 $2 {Crafty (score
3.21 at depth 9) thinks this is not a good move} ({Crafty suggests:} 25. ...
Qb5 26. Ne3 Qe8 27. Bxc8 Qxc8 28. Rf7 Qe8 29. Re7 Qc8 30. Nd5 Kg8 $14 {(score
0.36 at depth 11)} ) 26. c8=Q Rxc8 27. Bxc8 h6 28. Rf8+ Kh7 29. Bf5+ g6 30.
Rf7+ Kg8 31. Bxg6 $4 {This offers a mate in 2 to the opponent} ({Crafty
suggests:} 31. Be6 Kh8 32. g3 Qxa3 33. c4 Qc1+ 34. Kg2 Qc2+ 35. Kh3 a5 36.
Rf8+ Kg7 37. Rf7+ Kh8 $18 {(score 2.98 at depth 10)} ) Qb1+ {Game aborted by
mutual agreement} *

I don't like playing against the Modern Benoni. Very tricky opening.