Tree path 5 levels Queen's Pawn Game › Indian Defense › Normal Variation › Benoni Defense › Benko Gambit
- Chess Codex
- Queen's Pawn Game A40
- Indian Defense A45
- Normal Variation A50
- Benoni Defense A56
- Benko Gambit A57 you are here
Benko Gambit
Overview
Benko Gambit is a gambit, classified under ECO code A57 within the Flank Openings family. As with all gambits, one side sacrifices material early — usually a pawn — in exchange for development, open lines, or initiative.
The Flank Openings group covers flank openings — systems that delay the central pawn break and instead develop pieces and pawns on the wings.
It begins with 6 plies and takes 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5 to reach the canonical position.
It is a variation of Benoni Defense, which itself descends from the root opening Queen's Pawn Game.
It is the root of 8 named variations, with Benko Gambit Accepted, Benko Gambit Declined: Bishop Attack, Benko Gambit Declined: Hjørring Countergambit, and others among the most studied.
Together the deeper variations number 23 across the full subtree.
Step through the moves on the interactive board below, review the live Lichess statistics, or play this position against Stockfish at one of six difficulty levels.
- ECO code
- A57
- Group
- Flank Openings (A)
- Plies
- 6
- Parent
- Benoni Defense
- Direct variations
- 8
- Total in subtree
- 23
This overview is generated automatically from the opening's metadata. A more detailed, human-written description is on the way — and you can speed it up by suggesting one yourself.
Statistics from Lichess
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Description
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Variations (8)
- A57 Benko Gambit Accepted
- A57 Benko Gambit Declined: Bishop Attack
- A57 Benko Gambit Declined: Hjørring Countergambit
- A57 Benko Gambit Declined: Main Line
- A57 Benko Gambit Declined: Pseudo-Sämisch
- A57 Benko Gambit Declined: Quiet Line
- A57 Benko Gambit Declined: Sosonko Variation
- A57 Mutkin Countergambit
Show all 23 sub-variations (full subtree)
- A57 Benko Gambit Accepted 8-ply
- A57 Benko Gambit Declined: Bishop Attack 7-ply
- A57 Benko Gambit Declined: Hjørring Countergambit 7-ply
- A57 Benko Gambit Declined: Main Line 7-ply
- A57 Benko Gambit Declined: Pseudo-Sämisch 7-ply
- A57 Benko Gambit Declined: Quiet Line 7-ply
- A57 Benko Gambit Declined: Sosonko Variation 7-ply
- A57 Mutkin Countergambit 7-ply
- A57 Dlugy Variation 9-ply
- A58 Fully Accepted Variation 9-ply
- A57 Modern Variation 9-ply
- A57 Pawn Return Variation 9-ply
- A57 Benko Gambit: Zaitsev System 9-ply
- A59 Benko Gambit 17-ply
- A58 Benko Gambit Accepted: Central Storming Variation 13-ply
- A58 Benko Gambit Accepted: Fianchetto Variation 17-ply
- A59 Benko Gambit Accepted: King Walk Variation 21-ply
- A59 Benko Gambit Accepted: Yugoslav 13-ply
- A59 Benko Gambit Accepted: Yugoslav 17-ply
- A58 Benko Gambit: Fianchetto Variation 15-ply
- A58 Benko Gambit: Nd2 Variation 15-ply
- A57 Benko Gambit: Zaitsev Variation, Nescafe Frappe Attack 13-ply
- A57 Benko Gambit: Nescafe Frappe Attack 15-ply