Welcome to my Benko Gambit game with Dave Pierson!

On this page I have posted one my chess games in which I played the Black side of the Benko Gambit. The game includes analysis and diagrams. This game started off as an Old Benoni (ECO A43) and then transposed into a Benko Gambit accepted. I couldn't figure out the ECO code for this variation. White gave back the gambit pawn fairly early in this game and then later on let his King get into trouble. He finally resigned after he dropped a Knight and couldn't stop my connected passed pawns.

St. Pete Quad
Round 3
Date Played: 20 November 1988
White: Dave Pierson (1648) Black: Mike Serovey (1738)

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 c5 3. d5 d6 4. c4 b5 5. cxb5 a6 6. bxa6 Bxa6

Benko Gambit after 6... Bxa6.

Black has the position that he wanted. He sacrificed a pawn in order to get rapid development and a queenside attack. I'm not sure if White had faced this opening before.

7. Nc3 g6 8. Bd2 Bg7 9. g3 O-O 10. Bg2 Nbd7 11. O-O Qc7

Benko Gambit after 11... Qc7.

Now that each side has their kingside pieces developed Black begins his queenside attack. At this point I believe that Black's pieces are better placed than White's.

12. Re1 Rfb8 13. b3 Nb6

Benko Gambit after 13... Nb6.

White's next move gives back the gambit pawn without a fight. Playing 14. e4 was better as it anchors the White pawn at d5 and Black then has to target the a and b pawns in order to get his gambit pawn back.

14. Rb1? Nbxd5 15. Nxd5 Nxd5 16. e4 Nb4 17. Bxb4 Rxb4

Benko Gambit after 17... Rxb4.

The material is even but Black has a positional advantage. Black has the bishop pair versus a Bishop and Knight and controls the long diagonal from a1 to h8. Black is also attacking the a and b pawns while White doesn't have much of anything going on.

18. e5 Bb7 19. exd6 exd6 20. Qc2 f5 21. Ng5 Bxg2 22. Kxg2 Qc6+ 23. Kg1 Be5

Benko Gambit after 23... Be5.

Black has a passed pawn in the Center versus White's passed a pawn. Black controls the dark squares around the a and b pawns and the light squares around the White King. White's next move doesn't any sense to me.

24. Qd2 Rd4 25. Qc2 Qd5 26. Rbd1 Rxd1 27. Rxd1 Rxa2!

Benko Gambit after 27... Rxa2!

Black is now up a pawn. White now has a choice of exchanging rooks or exchanging queens. He chose to trade rooks which gives him better chances down a pawn.

28. Qxa2 Qxd1+ 29. Kg2 Qd5+

Benko Gambit after 29... Qd5+

Playing 30. Nb3 is better because the Knight will be forced back to f3 in a few moves and the King will not be there to protect it.

30. Kh3?? h6! 31. f4 Bf6 32. Nf3 Qxf3

Benko Gambit after 32... Qxf3.

Black is now up a Bishop and a passed pawn. White's next move is an attempt to create a passed pawn on the b file. However, that also gives Black connected passed pawns on the c and d files. When Black forces the exchange of queens and then blockades the passed b pawn with his Bishop White realizes that he can't hold this game and resigns.

33. b4+ Kf8 34. b5 Qf1+ 35. Qg2 Qxg2+ 36. Kxg2 Bd8 37. Kf2 d5 0-1

Benko Gambit after 37... d5 (Final position).

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