Break Down 1.d4 with the Benko Gambit
If you love open, tactical battles, you might yawn a bit when White opens with 1.d4, looking for a closed, quiet game. It's just not as dynamic and fun as those sharp, open games you so enjoy. And in blitz and bullet, forget about it!
But what if, as Black, you could
turn the tables, open up those positions, and relentlessly attack your opponent right out of the gate with a simple, aggressive system?
Grandmaster Swapnil Dhopade knows how you feel. That's why he's launched a fighter's repertoire against 1.d4 on Chessable - and it's all about the
Benko Gambit. To show you the beauty of this battle-tested system, he's offering up
25 lines free in this Short & Sweet course.
If you've never tried the Benko Gambit,
buckle up and get ready to have some fun.
In the first few moves, you'll be offering up a pawn (or two, if White's daring enough to let you) to
rip open the a- and b- files and turn them into firing ranges for your rook and queen. Your pieces will coordinate harmoniously with a kingside fianchetto bishop to direct maximum firepower to White's fragile queenside.
GM Dhopade expertly guides you through all the devious traps you can set - and the traps to avoid - in this bold yet solid opening.
And of course, sometimes White will stubbornly try to avoid the Benko with a Queen's Gambit-type response to your 1....Nf6. Not to worry - GM Dhopade has another fiery arrow in the quiver: the
Vienna System.
This unfrequented version of the Queen's Gambit Declined gives Black
scrappy counterattacking options that will make your opponent second-guess transposing into the QGD. By grabbing the pawn on c4 at the right time and quickly following with a c5 pawn break, Black forces White to make some awkward and difficult decisions in the center.
A typical Vienna pawn break
But perhaps the most attractive feature of the Vienna is that it is a fresh take on the classic Queen's Gambit which you can
apply in a variety of circumstances.
With this Short & Sweet course, you'll get everything you need to start a fighter's repertoire against 1.d4:
🎯 A quickstarter guide to the bold and beautiful
Benko Gambit - including lines where White tries to decline the gambit
🎯 An introduction to the
Vienna System, a smart counterattacking option against Queen's Gambit-type responses from White
🎯 A look at how to combat other White openings, such as the
London System and
Trompowsky AttackTake the fight to White - break 1.d4 with the Benko Gambit
Enjoying this Short & Sweet? Then check out GM Swapnil Dhopade's full course here: Lifetime Repertoires: Benko Gambit
