Old Benoni - Chess Opening (1.d4 c5)

Old Benoni

Definition

The Old Benoni is a family of chess openings that begins with the moves 1. d4 c5. Black challenges White’s center not with the more common …d5 or …Nf6, but by immediately striking at the d-pawn with the c-pawn. If White replies 2. d5 (the main line), a characteristic Benoni structure arises in which Black accepts a spatial disadvantage in exchange for dynamic counter-play on the queenside and along the e-file.

Typical Move Orders

The Old Benoni can arise in several ways:

• Pure Old Benoni: 1. d4 c5 2. d5 (main line)
• King’s Pawn Fianchetto line (Schmid Variation): 1. d4 c5 2. d5 Nf6 3. c4 g6
• From an English Opening: 1. c4 c5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. d4, transposing
• Czech Benoni Transposition: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 e5 (a later …e5 leads to the related Czech Benoni)

Strategic Themes

• Space vs. Activity: White enjoys extra space after 2.d5, especially on the queenside, while Black seeks piece activity, aiming at breaks with …e6 or …f5 and pressure along the half-open e- and c-files.
• Pawn Structure: After the typical …e6 …exd5 exchange, Black’s d-pawn disappears, leaving White with a central pawn majority (e- and d-pawns) and Black with a queenside majority (a-, b-, and c-pawns).
• Good vs. Bad Bishop: Black’s light-squared bishop on c8 often becomes active on the long diagonal after …g6 and …Bg7, while White’s dark-squared bishop may bite on granite if locked behind e4-d5 pawns.
• Breaks: • For Black: …b5, …f5, and sometimes …c4.
  • For White: b4, f4-f5, and central pushes e4-e5 or c4-c5.

Historical Significance

The name “Benoni” comes from an 1825 chess manuscript — Ben Oni — by the Jewish writer Aaron Reinganum, where the move 1…c5 against 1.d4 was first analyzed. The “Old” qualifier distinguishes this early c-pawn thrust from the more popular Modern Benoni (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6). While never as fashionable as its modern cousin, the Old Benoni has enjoyed periodic revivals by creative players seeking surprise value.

Notable Practitioners & Games

• Mikhail Tal employed it in blitz, appreciating the unbalanced pawn structure.
• Bent Larsen – Pal Benko, Las Palmas 1967, featured an instructive minority-attack theme for Black.
• Shakhriyar Mamedyarov used it to defeat Peter Svidler at the 2014 Tal Memorial blitz, showing its modern viability.

A concise illustrative line is included below; after 10 moves both sides have developed typical Benoni plans.

Strengths & Weaknesses

• Pros for Black
  1. Unbalances the game early, avoiding well-trodden Queen’s Gambit theory.
  2. Gives Black clear attacking targets (e- and b-files) and dynamic piece play.
  3. Psychological surprise weapon at club and even grandmaster level.
• Cons for Black
  1. Concedes central space; inaccurate play can leave Black cramped and passive.
  2. Endgames often favor White thanks to the central pawn majority.
  3. Theoretical interest has waxed and waned, meaning reliable main-line resources for Black are fewer than in the Modern Benoni.

Interesting Facts & Anecdotes

• The first recorded game with the Old Benoni is Staunton – Horwitz, London 1846, where Black equalized comfortably.
• Grandmaster Rashid Nezhmetdinov reportedly recommended the Old Benoni to beginners so they could “learn to love the initiative.”
• In correspondence chess, the line with 2.d5 Nf6 3.c4 g6 has scored above 55 % for Black, debunking the opening’s “unsound” reputation in very long games.

When to Use the Old Benoni

Choose it when you:

• Crave rich middlegame tactics and are comfortable defending slightly worse endgames.
• Want to sidestep heavy Queen’s Gambit theory without resorting to gambits.
• Play rapid or blitz, where surprise value and tactical skirmishes are magnified.

Summary

The Old Benoni (1.d4 c5) offers Black a combative, off-beat road to active piece play at the cost of spatial concession. Though eclipsed by the Modern Benoni in elite practice, it remains a viable and exciting choice, rich in strategic ideas, historical flavor, and tactical opportunities.