Old Benoni Defense: Semi-Benoni & Blockade Variation
Old Benoni Defense
Definition
The Old Benoni Defense is the opening that arises after the moves 1.d4 c5 2.d5. Black immediately challenges White’s queen-pawn with a flank strike by the c-pawn, creating an asymmetrical pawn structure and steering the game away from the calmer Queen’s-Gambit and Indian-Defense realms. In ECO it is catalogued mainly in codes A43–A44 (without …Nf6) and A56 (with …Nf6 but still an Old-Benoni move order).
Typical Move Orders & Usage
Most common continuations are:
- 1.d4 c5 2.d5 Nf6 3.Nc3 d6 4.e4 e5 (King’s Indian–style)
- 1.d4 c5 2.d5 e5 (the immediate pawn counter-thrust, sometimes called the Czech Benoni set-up if followed by …d6 and …g6)
- 1.d4 c5 2.d5 Nf6 3.Nf3 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 leading toward main Benoni structures
Strategic Ideas
- Imbalanced center: Black’s c-pawn on c5 and White’s pawn wedge on d5 create a locked center where each side plays on different wings (White on the kingside, Black on the queenside).
- Space vs. counterplay: White enjoys space in the center, but Black hopes to undermine d5 with breaks such as …e6 or …b5, or by piling pieces on the e4-square if White advances the e-pawn.
- Piece activity: Since the pawn structures are fixed early, piece maneuvering and timely pawn breaks become the heart of the position.
Historical & Theoretical Significance
The name “Benoni” comes from Aaron Reinganum’s 1825 book Ben-oni, or the Anti-Bonaparte. The “Old” Benoni describes the original 1…c5 move order before the Modern Benoni (1…Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 exd5 4.cxd5). For many years the line was considered strategically risky for Black because of White’s extra space, but it has enjoyed periodic revivals by dynamic players seeking complicated play.
Example Game
[[Pgn| d4|c5|d5|Nf6|Nc3|e6|e4|exd5|cxd5|d6|Nf3|g6|Be2|Bg7|h3|O-O|O-O|Re8|Nd2|Na6 |fen|| |arrows|d4d5,c5d4,e6e5|squares|d5,e4]]Gavrikov – Albert, USSR ch. 1988 shows a typical fight: White built a broad pawn center with e4 and f4, while Black countered with …Re8 and …Na6-c7-b5 targeting the d-pawn. The game illustrates how both sides generate play on opposite wings.
Interesting Facts
- Grandmaster Bent Larsen, always fond of off-beat systems, used the Old Benoni to defeat Anatoly Karpov (Hastings 1972) in a sharp battle featuring an early …e5 break.
- Because 1…c5 breaks the mirror symmetry on move one, some correspondence and engine specialists believe the Old Benoni may be more resilient than its reputation suggests, especially when mixed with modern engines’ willingness to accept spatial deficits for counter-chances.
Semi-Benoni Variation
Definition
The Semi-Benoni Variation is a hybrid setup that starts 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6. Unlike the Modern Benoni (where …e6 is played on move two, inviting 3.dxe6), Black first tempts White to advance to d5, then strikes with …e6 in one go, avoiding the pawn sacrifice yet still reaching Benoni-type structures. The line sits in ECO code A44.
Key Ideas & Plans
- Flexible center: By delaying …e6, Black retains the option of recapturing on d5 with a piece (…exd5 followed by …d6) or even keeping tension with …d6 at once.
- Pawn breaks: Black still aims for the thematic Benoni counter-play: …exd5, …g6, …Bg7, …Re8 and …b5. White may choose a calmer development or the aggressive Four-Pawn Blockade system (see next entry).
- Move-order subtleties: White cannot profitably take on e6 because the pawn is protected, so he must decide between 4.Nc3, 4.Nf3, or 4.g3. Each choice leads to distinct middlegame landscapes.
Illustrative Line
4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 → classical Benoni set-up where Black is a tempo up compared with the Modern Benoni (his knight is already on f6).
Historical Notes
The Semi-Benoni attracted strong Soviet players in the 1960s, notably Lev Polugaevsky and Efim Geller, who appreciated the solid yet unbalanced structure. More recently, it has been employed by dynamic grandmasters like Richard Rapport and Daniil Dubov to sidestep well-analyzed Modern Benoni theory.
Example Clip
[[Pgn| d4|Nf6|c4|c5|d5|e6|Nc3|exd5|cxd5|d6|Nf3|g6|e4|Bg7|Be2|O-O|O-O|Re8|Nd2|Na6 |fen|| |arrows|c5d4,e6e5,b7b5|squares|d5,e4]]This fragment (adapted from Giri–Rapport, Wijk aan Zee 2017) shows both armies massing for the typical pawn breaks …b5 and f2–f4.
Interesting Facts
- Because Black is one tempo “ahead” of the Modern Benoni, engines now rate many Semi-Benoni main lines as fully playable—reviving an opening once thought dubious at elite level.
- The variation can also be reached via the English Opening: 1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 e6, confusing move-order-conscious opponents.
Blockade Variation (against the Benoni)
Definition
The Blockade Variation is a strategic treatment for White in Benoni-type positions (including the Old and Semi-Benoni) where White erects an unbreakable pawn wall with d5–e4–f4, clamps the center, and restricts Black’s counterplay on the dark squares. Typical starting sequence:
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.f4 Bg7 8.Nf3 O-O (ECO A70 family).
Why “Blockade”?
The pawn trio d5-e4-f4 blocks Black’s thematic pawn break …e6-e5 or …f7-f5 and also cramps Black’s dark-squared bishop. White’s knight often plants itself on e4 (or c4) to reinforce the blockade, echoing Aron Nimzowitsch’s concept of restraining before attacking.
Main Plans
- White
- Overprotect d5 and e4, reposition pieces (Be2, Nf3–d2) to support a later e4-e5 thrust.
- Expand on the kingside with g2–g4 or h2–h3 & g2–g4, preparing f4-f5.
- Occasionally castle queenside to intensify the kingside assault.
- Black
- Seek pawn breaks …b5 or …c4 to undermine White’s queenside.
- Re-route pieces (…Nbd7, …Re8, …Nf6–h5 or …f5) to challenge the f4-pawn.
- Use the h8–a1 diagonal (…Bg7) and possible exchange sacrifice …Rxe4 to dissolve the blockade.
Historical & Practical Significance
The line became fashionable after Mikhail Tal used it with White to outplay Pal Benko (Belgrade 1961). Later, Garry Kasparov employed the structure many times in his youth. Today it remains a critical test of Benoni setups: if Black cannot generate timely counterplay, the blockade can strangle him.
Illustrative Encounter
[[Pgn| d4|Nf6|c4|c5|d5|e6|Nc3|exd5|cxd5|d6|e4|g6|f4|Bg7|Bb5+|Nbd7|e5|dxe5|fxe5|Ng4|Nf3|O-O |fen|| |arrows|f4f5,b7b5|squares|d5,e4,f4]]Kasparov – Gligoric, Bugojno 1982: The young Kasparov demonstrated the suffocating power of the pawn wall, later crashing through on f5 while Black’s queenside play never materialised.
Interesting Tidbits
- The Blockade system is also referred to in some texts as the “Four-Pawn Attack” of the Benoni because White often adds g2-g4 as a fourth pawn in the pawn chain.
- Engines once thought Black was fine thanks to precise …Re8 and …Nbd7 manoeuvres, but recent neural-network evaluations give White a persistent pull, leading to renewed interest at club level.
- In rapid-play, the sheer spatial advantage often induces time trouble for Black, as he juggles multiple pawn breaks while keeping his king safe.