Benko Gambit Accepted: Yugoslav

Benko Gambit Accepted: Yugoslav is a chess opening with the ECO code A59, part of the Benko Gambit Accepted family. It goes 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5 4. cxb5 a6 5. bxa6 Bxa6 6. Nc3 d6 7. e4. White opens with 1. d4 (the queen's pawn) and Black answers 1... Nf6. After 13 moves it is Black to move. After the last move White is a pawn ahead in material. The lesson on the board explains every move of the line and lets you play it yourself; it is free.

The moves

1. d4 – White plays the pawn to d4
1... Nf6 – Black plays the knight to f6
2. c4 – White plays the pawn to c4
2... c5 – Black plays the pawn to c5
3. d5 – White plays the pawn to d5
3... b5 – Black plays the pawn to b5
4. cxb5 – White captures on b5 with the c-pawn
4... a6 – Black plays the pawn to a6
5. bxa6 – White captures on a6 with the b-pawn
5... Bxa6 – Black takes on a6 with the bishop
6. Nc3 – White plays the knight to c3
6... d6 – Black plays the pawn to d6

The line goes on for 1 more moves; the lesson shows them all.

In chessGM's opening book this position continues with 7... Bxf1.

About the Benko Gambit Accepted

White takes the b5 pawn and Black gives a pawn with ...a6 to open the a- and b-files. Black gets long-lasting queenside pressure.

Black puts rooks on a8 and b8 to hit a2 and b2.
The g7 bishop on the long diagonal adds big pressure.
Even an endgame is fine for Black, because the pressure stays.

chessGM has a full course for this line: open the Benko Gambit Accepted: Yugoslav course lesson.

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