Scotch Game: Benima Defense

Scotch Game: Benima Defense

Definition

The Benima Defense is a provocative line of the Scotch Game that arises after the moves:

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Qh4?!

Black immediately brings the queen to h4, simultaneously:

• checking the king (the move gives a check),
• attacking the pawn on e4, and
• eyeing the sensitive f2–square.

The variation is also widely known as the “Scotch, Steinitz Variation,” but older European sources and the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings (ECO C45) list it under the name “Benima Defense,” honouring the Dutch master Daniel Noteboom Benima (1868-1925), who analysed it in the early 20th century.

Typical Move Order

A very common continuation is:

After 5. Nc3 Bb4 Black pins the knight and reinforces the threat to e4, trying to keep the initiative generated by the early queen sortie.

Strategic Themes

• Black’s Motifs
  • Pressurising e4 and f2 while White is still un-castled.
  • Exchanging on c3 to damage White’s queenside pawn structure.
  • Staying a tempo ahead by forcing White’s pieces to awkward squares, then consolidating with …d6 and …Nf6-g4 or …Ne7-g6.
• White’s Motifs
  • Gaining time by chasing the black queen with 5. Nc3, 6. Nd5 or 5. Nb5 (the sharp “Chicago Gambit”).
  • Fast development and kingside safety; castling as early as possible blunts Black’s queen attack.
  • Exploiting the queen’s early exposure with tactics based on Bf4, Nd5, or Qe2.

Evaluation

Modern engines and grandmaster practice consider 4…Qh4?! objectively dubious; with precise play White usually secures an edge. Nevertheless, it remains playable at club level and is an excellent surprise weapon because unfamiliar opponents can stumble into early traps.

Historical & Naming Note

• The line was analysed in the 19th century by Adolf Anderssen and Wilhelm Steinitz, but Dutch theoretician Daniel Benima published the most detailed early monograph, giving the defense his name.
• Steinitz himself played the white side against it in the famous “Immortal Zugzwang Game” versus Curt von Bardeleben, Hastings 1895.
• The ECO groups 4…Qh4 lines under C45 with the header “Scotch Game: Benima Defense.”

Illustrative Game

Wilhelm Steinitz – Curt von Bardeleben
Hastings, 1895

The game is a classic demonstration of how the exposed queen can lead to lasting developmental problems for Black. Steinitz sacrificed material, drove the enemy king into the open, and concluded with a picturesque mate on b7.

Typical Tactical Motifs

1. Fork on c7 – After 5. Nc3 Bb4 6. Be2, White often plays 7. Nb5, threatening Nc7+, forking king and rook.
2. Trapped Queen – If Black delays …Qe7 or …Qg4, ideas with Be2, h3, and f4 can corral the queen on h4 or g4.
3. The Chicago Gambit – 5. Nc3 Bb4 6. Nb5!?, offering the e4-pawn a second time to accelerate piece activity.

Interesting Facts

• Because the move 4…Qh4 is a check, beginners often assume it must be good; instructively, the line shows that “check is not always best.”
• The queen travels the entire diagonal d8–h4 in one swoop—the same path used in the Scholar’s Mate, underscoring its psychological appeal.
• World Champion Magnus Carlsen played the Benima Defense online in a 2020 blitz game, scoring a quick win after his opponent blundered on move 8, proving the opening’s value as a surprise weapon even today.

Summary

The Benima Defense is an audacious queen sortie in the Scotch that seeks to seize the initiative immediately. Although objectively risky, it thrives on tactical complexity and lack of familiarity. For educators, the line is a rich source of lessons in opening principles, development versus pawn-grabbing, and the dangers of premature queen moves.