Benko Gambit Declined: Quiet Line

Benko Gambit Declined: Quiet Line is a chess opening with the ECO code A57, part of the Benko Gambit Declined family. It goes 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5 4. Nd2. White opens with 1. d4 (the queen's pawn) and Black answers 1... Nf6. After 7 moves it is Black to move. 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. Nd2 – White plays the knight to d2

In chessGM's opening book this position continues with 4... bxc4.

About the Benko Gambit Declined

After 3...b5, White does not take the pawn and plays Nf3, a4 or Bg5 instead. White avoids Black's open files and keeps the centre.

• a4 attacks the b5 pawn and breaks up Black's queenside.
• Bg5 aims at the f6 knight to weaken Black's control of d5 and e4.
• Black can take on c4 with ...bxc4 and get active play.

chessGM has a full course for this line: open the Benko Gambit Declined: Quiet Line course lesson.

Related openings

• It extends: Benko Gambit (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5)
• Related line: Benko Gambit Declined: Pseudo-Sämisch (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5 4. f3)
• Related line: Benko Gambit Declined: Sosonko Variation (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5 4. a4)
• Related line: Benko Gambit Declined: Main Line (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5 4. Nf3)
• Related line: Benko Gambit Declined: Hjørring Countergambit (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5 4. e4)
• Related line: Benko Gambit Declined: Bishop Attack (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5 4. Bg5)

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