Benoni Defense: Classical Variation is a chess opening with the ECO code A72, part of the Benoni Defense family. It goes 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 e6 4. Nc3 exd5 5. cxd5 d6 6. e4 g6 7. Nf3 Bg7 8. Be2 O-O. White opens with 1. d4 (the queen's pawn) and Black answers 1... Nf6. After 16 moves it is White 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... e6 – Black plays the pawn to e6
4. Nc3 – White plays the knight to c3
4... exd5 – Black captures on d5 with the e-pawn
5. cxd5 – White captures on d5 with the c-pawn
5... d6 – Black plays the pawn to d6
6. e4 – White plays the pawn to e4
6... g6 – Black plays the pawn to g6
The line goes on for 4 more moves; the lesson shows them all.
In chessGM's opening book this position continues with 9. O-O.
About the Benoni Defense
Black plays ...c5 against 1.d4 and, after d5, builds an unbalanced pawn structure. Black gets activity and queenside play in return for less space.
Black fianchettoes with ...g6 and ...Bg7, aiming the bishop at the long diagonal.
Black's plan is the queenside pawn push ...a6 and ...b5.
White wants the e4-e5 break in the centre; Black must stop it.
chessGM