Benoni Defense: Modern Penrose Variation
Benoni Defense – Modern Penrose Variation
Definition
The Modern Penrose Variation is a branch of the Modern Benoni that arises after the move 7.Bg5 by White. It is catalogued in the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings as A70 and begins with the following sequence:
- 1.d4 Nf6
- 2.c4 c5
- 3.d5 e6
- 4.Nc3 exd5
- 5.cxd5 d6
- 6.Nf3 g6
- 7.Bg5
With 7.Bg5 White immediately pins the f6–knight, stalling Black’s normal plan of ...Bg7 followed by ...Re8 and ...Na6–c7–b5 or ...Nbd7. The variation is named after the English Grandmaster and nine-time British Champion Jonathan Penrose, who adopted it with great success in the 1960s.
Strategic Themes
- White’s ideas
- Pin the f6-knight to reduce Black’s kingside flexibility.
- Prepare e2–e4 to seize central space; the pin makes ...Nf6–g4 impossible.
- Maintain the pawn on d5 as a cramping spearhead and use pieces to pile up on the d6 pawn.
- After Bxf6, play Qd2 and 0-0-0 for a potential kingside assault with h2-h4-h5.
- Black’s ideas
- Break the pin by ...h6, ...g5 or ...Nbd7 followed by ...h6.
- Seek counterplay on the queenside with ...a6 and ...b5, typical of the Benoni.
- Activate the dark-squared bishop on g7 and aim at the e4 square.
- Advance the f-pawn with ...f5 in some lines, challenging White’s center.
Typical Move Sequences
One common continuation runs:
8.e4 h6 9.Bh4 g5 10.Bg3 a6 11.a4 Nh5
Black gains space on the kingside but lags in development; White tries to exploit the holes created on the dark squares.
Historical Significance
Jonathan Penrose first unveiled the idea against world-class opposition in the 14th Chess Olympiad, Leipzig 1960. His win over Miroslav Filip and a fighting draw versus Mikhail Tal drew attention to the line, and soon it became a fashionable antidote to the Benoni’s dynamic pawn structure.
Illustrative Game
Penrose – Filip, Leipzig Olympiad 1960
The game showcases the long-term pressure against Black’s d6 pawn and the dangers of premature queenside counterplay.
Typical Tactics & Motifs
- Bxf6 & e4-e5 break: Removing the f6-knight undermines Black’s defense of d6 and f7.
- Exchange sacrifice on a6: Rxa6 is occasionally employed to shatter Black’s queenside.
- Dark-square domination: After ...g5, squares f5 and h5 can become outposts for White’s minor pieces.
Pros and Cons
- Advantages for White
- Immediate positional pressure; Black must find accurate defensive moves.
- Flexible plans: quiet central squeeze or direct kingside attack.
- Drawbacks for White
- The bishop can become a target after ...h6 and ...g5.
- If the center stabilizes, Black’s queenside majority (…b5) may roll.
Interesting Facts
- Jonathan Penrose was an over-the-board amateur; he earned his GM title only later, mainly for correspondence play, yet his over-the-board innovations—like 7.Bg5—keep appearing in elite practice.
- Because the bishop on g5 is sometimes chased to h4 and g3, Soviet commentators jokingly called the line the “wanderlust bishop variation.”
- The Penrose Variation briefly resurfaced at top level when Vugar Gashimov used it to defeat Veselin Topalov in Linares 2010.
When to Use It
If you enjoy Kings Indian–type pawn structures but prefer a more positional, piece-pressure approach, the Modern Penrose Variation offers a sound yet combative weapon versus the Modern Benoni.