<p> Such openings are termed as gambits where a pawn or sometimes even two are offered. In current chess scenario, there is hardly any place for volatile gambits like the King’s Gambit, Evan’s Gambit, Benko Gambit to a name a few, though they do make a few appearances now and then.<br /><br />However, it is important to play actively after sacrificing a pawn or two rather than try to immediately get the pawn back. In the game which follows, Black adopts the Benko Gambit and wraps up the game with a beautiful combination. <br /><br /> White: Csaba Horvath (2450) – Black: Gerald Hertneck (2555) <br />Budapest, 1991<br />The Benko Gambit<br /> 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 <br />The Benko Gambit, one of the sharpest openings against the Queen’s Gambit<br />4.cxb5 <br />Accepting the gambit. If 4.a4 b4 5.g3 g6 6.b3 Bg7 7.Bb2 Bb7 8.Bg2 e6 9.e4 0–0 10.Ne2 exd5 11.exd5 d6 <br />4...a6 5.b6 <br />This time preferring to advance rather than accept the pawn<br />If 5.bxa6 Bxa6 6.Nc3 g6 7.e4 Bxf1 8.Kxf1 d6 9.g4 <br /> 5...d6 <br />If 5...Qxb6 6.Nc3 g6 7.a4 Bg7 8.a5 Qc7 <br />6.Nc3 Nbd7 7.e4 <br />If 7.a4 a5 8.e4 g6 9.Bb5 Bg7 10.Nf3 0–0 11.0–0 Bb712.Bf4 Nxb6 <br />7...Rb8<br />Making a new move here. If 7...g6 8.a4 Nxb6 9.a5 Nbd7 10.f4 Bg7 11.Bc4 0–0 12.Nf3 which works better for White <br />8.Nf3 <br />If 8.a4 Rxb6 9.a5 Rb4„; 8.f4<br />8...g6 9.b7 <br />If 9.Nd2 Bg7 10.a4 Rxb6 11.a5 Rb4 12.Nc4 with more or less an equal position <br />9...Bxb7 10.Be2 Bg7 11.0–0 0–0 <br />Finally both of them castle<br />12.Bf4 Ng4. If 12...Bc8 13.Qd2 <br />13.Nd2 Nge5. A good square to anchor on!<br />14.Be3. If 14.Bg3 g5<br />14...f5. A strong move, signalling that Black is now keen on attack<br />15.exf5. If 15.f4 Ng4 (15...Nf7 16.exf5 gxf5 17.Nc4) 16.Bxg4 fxg4 17.Qxg4 Bc8 <br />15...gxf5 16.f4 Ng6 17.Nc4. This looks like a dubious move. Better appears 17.Nf3with the idea of playing Ng5 <br />17...Bxc3. This looks interesting as Black is giving up the strong fianchetto bishop for opening up on the queen side <br />18.bxc3 Nf6. Black is winning the central pawn<br />19.Qc2 . If 19.Bf3 Nh4 <br />19...Nxd5 20.Rad1 Qc7<br />If 20...Nxe3 21.Nxe3 Qd7<br />21.Bc1 Kh8<br />Taking time off for moving the King to a safer square but there was no need right now and Black could have continued 21...e6<br />22.Bf3 Nf6 23.Ne3. If 23.Qxf5 Nh4 And if 23.Bxb7 Qxb7 24.Qxf5 Qxg2+ 25.Kxg2 Nh4+and Black is better<br />23...e6 24.c4 Be4 25.Bxe4 Nxe4 26.Bb2+ Kg8 27.Ba1 Kf7 <br />The idea here is 27...h5 Kh7 and Kh6 <br />28.g4ƒ Rg8 29.gxf5 exf5<br />If 29...Ne7+ 30.Kh1 exf5 31.Qe2 Rg6 32.Qh5 Kg8 33.Nxf5 Nxf5 34.Qxf5 Qb7 35.Qd5+ Qxd5 36.cxd5<br /></p>.<p>30.Nxf5 Nh4+ 31.Kh1<br />White should have given some thought to31.Ng3 Rbe8 32.Be5! Qc6 33.Rd5+<br />31...Qb7 32.Rd5 <br />If 32.Nh6+ Kf8 33.Nxg8 Nf2+ 34.Kg1 Nh3 checkmate <br /> <br />Diagram 1<br />32...Qb1. A fantastic move!<br />33.Ne3 <br />If 33. Qxb1 Nf2+ 34.Rxf2 Rxb1+ And if 33.Qe2 Qxf1+ 34.Qxf1 Nf2+ And if 33.Rxb1 Rxb1+ 34.Qxb1 Nf2 checkmate <br />33...Qxc2 34.Nxc2 Rb1 and White resigned for if 34...Rb1 35.Rxb1 Nf2 checkmate.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Diagram 2<br />White to play and win<br />1.Rxd6 Qxd6 <br />If 1...Rf7 2.c5 <br />2.Bxg7+ Kg8 3.c5+ and White wins.<br /></p>
<p> Such openings are termed as gambits where a pawn or sometimes even two are offered. In current chess scenario, there is hardly any place for volatile gambits like the King’s Gambit, Evan’s Gambit, Benko Gambit to a name a few, though they do make a few appearances now and then.<br /><br />However, it is important to play actively after sacrificing a pawn or two rather than try to immediately get the pawn back. In the game which follows, Black adopts the Benko Gambit and wraps up the game with a beautiful combination. <br /><br /> White: Csaba Horvath (2450) – Black: Gerald Hertneck (2555) <br />Budapest, 1991<br />The Benko Gambit<br /> 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 <br />The Benko Gambit, one of the sharpest openings against the Queen’s Gambit<br />4.cxb5 <br />Accepting the gambit. If 4.a4 b4 5.g3 g6 6.b3 Bg7 7.Bb2 Bb7 8.Bg2 e6 9.e4 0–0 10.Ne2 exd5 11.exd5 d6 <br />4...a6 5.b6 <br />This time preferring to advance rather than accept the pawn<br />If 5.bxa6 Bxa6 6.Nc3 g6 7.e4 Bxf1 8.Kxf1 d6 9.g4 <br /> 5...d6 <br />If 5...Qxb6 6.Nc3 g6 7.a4 Bg7 8.a5 Qc7 <br />6.Nc3 Nbd7 7.e4 <br />If 7.a4 a5 8.e4 g6 9.Bb5 Bg7 10.Nf3 0–0 11.0–0 Bb712.Bf4 Nxb6 <br />7...Rb8<br />Making a new move here. If 7...g6 8.a4 Nxb6 9.a5 Nbd7 10.f4 Bg7 11.Bc4 0–0 12.Nf3 which works better for White <br />8.Nf3 <br />If 8.a4 Rxb6 9.a5 Rb4„; 8.f4<br />8...g6 9.b7 <br />If 9.Nd2 Bg7 10.a4 Rxb6 11.a5 Rb4 12.Nc4 with more or less an equal position <br />9...Bxb7 10.Be2 Bg7 11.0–0 0–0 <br />Finally both of them castle<br />12.Bf4 Ng4. If 12...Bc8 13.Qd2 <br />13.Nd2 Nge5. A good square to anchor on!<br />14.Be3. If 14.Bg3 g5<br />14...f5. A strong move, signalling that Black is now keen on attack<br />15.exf5. If 15.f4 Ng4 (15...Nf7 16.exf5 gxf5 17.Nc4) 16.Bxg4 fxg4 17.Qxg4 Bc8 <br />15...gxf5 16.f4 Ng6 17.Nc4. This looks like a dubious move. Better appears 17.Nf3with the idea of playing Ng5 <br />17...Bxc3. This looks interesting as Black is giving up the strong fianchetto bishop for opening up on the queen side <br />18.bxc3 Nf6. Black is winning the central pawn<br />19.Qc2 . If 19.Bf3 Nh4 <br />19...Nxd5 20.Rad1 Qc7<br />If 20...Nxe3 21.Nxe3 Qd7<br />21.Bc1 Kh8<br />Taking time off for moving the King to a safer square but there was no need right now and Black could have continued 21...e6<br />22.Bf3 Nf6 23.Ne3. If 23.Qxf5 Nh4 And if 23.Bxb7 Qxb7 24.Qxf5 Qxg2+ 25.Kxg2 Nh4+and Black is better<br />23...e6 24.c4 Be4 25.Bxe4 Nxe4 26.Bb2+ Kg8 27.Ba1 Kf7 <br />The idea here is 27...h5 Kh7 and Kh6 <br />28.g4ƒ Rg8 29.gxf5 exf5<br />If 29...Ne7+ 30.Kh1 exf5 31.Qe2 Rg6 32.Qh5 Kg8 33.Nxf5 Nxf5 34.Qxf5 Qb7 35.Qd5+ Qxd5 36.cxd5<br /></p>.<p>30.Nxf5 Nh4+ 31.Kh1<br />White should have given some thought to31.Ng3 Rbe8 32.Be5! Qc6 33.Rd5+<br />31...Qb7 32.Rd5 <br />If 32.Nh6+ Kf8 33.Nxg8 Nf2+ 34.Kg1 Nh3 checkmate <br /> <br />Diagram 1<br />32...Qb1. A fantastic move!<br />33.Ne3 <br />If 33. Qxb1 Nf2+ 34.Rxf2 Rxb1+ And if 33.Qe2 Qxf1+ 34.Qxf1 Nf2+ And if 33.Rxb1 Rxb1+ 34.Qxb1 Nf2 checkmate <br />33...Qxc2 34.Nxc2 Rb1 and White resigned for if 34...Rb1 35.Rxb1 Nf2 checkmate.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Diagram 2<br />White to play and win<br />1.Rxd6 Qxd6 <br />If 1...Rf7 2.c5 <br />2.Bxg7+ Kg8 3.c5+ and White wins.<br /></p>
