Benoni: 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5

Benoni: 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5

Definition

The move sequence 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 marks the critical branching point of the Modern Benoni. After Black’s 3…e6 and the immediate exchange on d5, the pawn structure becomes asymmetrical: White secures a broad pawn center with d5 and e4 (often to come), while Black relies on piece activity, the half-open e-file, and pressure along the long dark-squared diagonal with …g6 & …Bg7.

Typical Continuations

After the defining exchange, the most common plans are:

• 5…d6 6.Nf3 g6 7.e4 Bg7 – the Classical Modern Benoni.
• 5…g6 6.e4 d6 7.Nf3 Bg7 – a flexible move order avoiding certain gambits.
• 5…d6 6.e4 g6 7.f4 – the Four-Pawn Attack, an aggressive anti-Benoni system.

Strategic Themes

The resulting pawn skeleton defines the character of the game:

• White’s assets
  • Space advantage in the center and on the queenside.
  • Potential passed pawn with d5-d6.
  • Outposts on c6 and e6 once pieces are exchanged.
• Black’s assets
  • Dynamic piece play on dark squares (…Bg7, …Re8, …Na6–c7–b5).
  • Counter-thrusts …b5 and …f5.
  • Pressure against the pawn chain base at e4.

Historical Significance

The Benoni, Hebrew for “son of sorrow,” was so named by 19^th -century writer Aaron Reinganum, who believed the opening brought grief to Black. Modern praxis has proved otherwise: the line surged in popularity after the 1953 Zürich Candidates where players like Najdorf and Gligorić employed it. Mikhail Tal, Bobby Fischer, and later Garry Kasparov adopted the Modern Benoni to seek unbalanced, fighting positions with Black.

Illustrative Games

1. Tal – Gligorić, Bled 1961: White’s 7.f4 Four-Pawn Attack met dynamic resistance; Tal ultimately out-tactics Gligorić in a wild middlegame.
   
2. Kasparov – Nunn, Wijk aan Zee 1982: A textbook demonstration of exploiting the d6 outpost; Kasparov’s knight on c6 paralyzed Black’s queenside.
3. Carlsen – Gashimov, Tal Memorial 2011: Modern handling with 9.h3 sidestepping main theory and converting a small positional edge.

Model Position

After 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.Nf3 Bg7 the board often looks like this:

Practical Tips

• With White, be ready for the thematic break e4-e5 to cramp Black’s pieces.
• With Black, time …b5 carefully; prepare it with …a6 and piece support to avoid the weakening 8…b5? tactic Nxb5!
• Endgames often favor White due to the queen-side majority, so Black should keep pieces and complications on the board.

Interesting Facts

• Bobby Fischer called the Benoni “an opening for those who like to win with Black.”
• In the 1997 Kasparov – Deep Blue match, IBM’s machine avoided the Benoni in its opening book despite Kasparov’s known preference—an example of psychological preparation by computer!
• The line 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 is so central that databases sometimes classify the entire Modern Benoni under ECO codes A70–A79 starting at this exact position.