Benko Gambit Fully Accepted Fianchetto Attack
Benko Gambit
Definition
The Benko Gambit (also called the Volga Gambit) is a sharp queen-pawn opening in which Black sacrifices a pawn on the queenside to obtain long-term positional pressure on the a- and b-files and control of the dark squares. A characteristic starting sequence is:
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5 4. cxb5 a6
Typical Move Order
- 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5
- 4. cxb5 a6 5. bxa6 Bxa6 (Benko Gambit, Fully Accepted)
- … g6, … Bg7, and … 0-0 follow swiftly; Black builds pressure with … Rxa6, … Qa8, or … Qb6.
Strategic Ideas
- Long-term compensation rather than a quick attack. Black’s bishops and rooks aim down the half-open a- and b-files, often tying White to the defense of b2.
- The pawn majority in the center and kingside gives White some space, but pushing those pawns can be hazardous because of the latent pressure on the queenside.
- Endgames often favor Black despite the pawn minus, because his pieces remain more active and the extra white pawn can be hard to mobilize.
Historical Significance
Grandmaster Pál Benko popularized the gambit in top-level play during the late 1960s, scoring several high-profile wins. In earlier Soviet literature the opening was known as the “Volga Gambit,” a reference to the river Volga, but Benko’s successes led to the modern name in English-speaking circles.
Illustrative Game
Benko – Fischer, New York 1963 (simultaneous exhibition) was among the first demonstrations; more famous is
[[Pgn|1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.bxa6 g6 6.Nc3 Bg7 7.e4 0-0 8.Nf3 Qa5 9.Nd2 Bxf1 10.Kxf1 Qxa6 11.Kg1 d6 12.a4 Nbd7 13.h3 Rfb8 14.Ra3 Ne8 15.Qc2 Nc7 16.b3 Ne5 17.Nb5 Nxb5 18.cxb5 Rxb5 19.Bb2 Rb4 20.Bc3 Rb7 21.Kh2 Qd3 22.Qxd3 Nxd3 23.Bxg7 Kxg7 24.f3 Kf6 25.a5 Rba7 26.Nc4 Nb4 27.Rc1 h5 28.Kg3 g5 29.h4 Rg8 30.hxg5+ Rxg5+ 31.Kf2 h4 32.Rh1 Rh5 33.Ke2 Nc2 34.Kd2 Nd4 35.Kc3 Ne2+ 36.Kd2 Nd4 ½-½|fen|]Interesting Facts
- Because Black’s compensation is mainly structural and piece-oriented, modern engines often evaluate the starting position of the Benko Gambit close to equality despite the pawn deficit.
- The gambit is one of the few mainstream openings where Black deliberately remains a pawn down deep into the endgame.
- Magnus Carlsen employed the Benko to defeat Viswanathan Anand in Bilbao 2012, showing its continued relevance at elite level.
Fully Accepted (in the context of a Gambit)
Definition
“Fully Accepted” describes a line in which the player facing a gambit captures all of the material offered, rather than declining or giving back part of it immediately. In the Benko Gambit, Fully Accepted means White takes both the b- and the a-pawns:
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5 4. cxb5 a6 5. bxa6
Practical Usage
- The term is mostly used in opening manuals and databases (e.g., “Benko Gambit, Fully Accepted, Fianchetto Attack” = ECO A59).
- Accepting the full gambit commits the defender to holding the extra pawn, so strategic accuracy is vital; inaccurate play can allow the gambiteer overwhelming pressure.
- In some gambits, “Fully Accepted” can be risky or outright dubious (e.g., the From Gambit in Bird’s Opening), whereas in the Benko it is theoretically one of the main lines.
Strategic Consequences
- Material Advantage: The side that “fully accepts” starts a pawn up.
- Development Lag: The capturing moves cost tempi; the gambiteer often gains lead in development and open lines.
- Psychological Factor: Accepting provokes sharp play; many players decline if they prefer quieter positions.
Anecdote
During the 1972 San Antonio tournament, Ljubojević willingly “fully accepted” Benko’s own gambit against him—then survived a tactical barrage to win the endgame, turning the tables on its inventor.
Fianchetto Attack
Definition
A “Fianchetto Attack” is any attacking system in which a player develops a bishop to the long diagonal (g2 or b2 for White; g7 or b7 for Black), then builds an assault leveraging that piece’s long-range power. The term most commonly refers to:
- The King’s Indian Attack setup with B on g2 versus the French/Sicilian/Caro-Kann.
- White’s g2-bishop system against the Benko Gambit (ECO A59: “Benko Gambit, Fully Accepted, Fianchetto Attack”).
Typical Benko Move Order
After fully accepting the Benko gambit, White may continue:
- … Bxa6 6. Nc3 g6 7. e4 Bxf1 8. Kxf1 d6 9. g3 Bg7 10. Kg2
White’s g2-bishop aims at the e4–d5–c6 complex, supports a later f2-f4 push, and helps guard the king who often castles by hand (Kg1–h2).
Strategic Aims
- Control of the Diagonal: The fianchettoed bishop restricts Black’s queenside pieces and covers the weakened dark squares created by accepting the pawns.
- Solid Center: Moves like e4, Nf3, and Nc3 reinforce the d5 outpost and discourage Black’s … e6 break.
- Flexible King Safety: White may castle short, keep the king on f1, or shuffle to h2, depending on Black’s pressure.
Illustrative Game
[[Pgn|1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.bxa6 Bxa6 6.Nc3 d6 7.g3 g6 8.Bg2 Bg7 9.Nf3 Nbd7 10.0-0 0-0 11.Rb1 Qa5 12.Qc2 Rfb8 13.Bd2 Ne8 14.b3 Nc7 15.a4 Qb6 16.h4 e6 17.dxe6 Nxe6 18.h5 Bb7 19.hxg6 hxg6 20.Nh4 Nd4 21.Qd3 Bxg2 22.Kxg2 Ne5 23.Qe4 Qb7 24.Qxb7 Rxb7 25.e3 Ndc6 26.Nb5 Rd7 27.Bc3 d5 28.cxd5 Rxd5 29.Nc7 Rad8 30.Nxd5 Rxd5 31.Rfd1 ½-½|fen|]Interesting Tidbits
- Many players reach the Fianchetto Attack via transposition from Réti or English Move-Order tricks, avoiding certain Benko sidelines.
- Anand used a g2-fianchetto system to beat Kasparov in the 1995 World Championship cycle, reinforcing the line’s practical venom.
- Because White often delays or omits castling, the king stroll to h2 has been jokingly dubbed “the Benko hike.”