Benoni Defense: Modern Variation

Benoni Defense: Modern Variation is a chess opening with the ECO code A60, part of the Benoni Defense family. It goes 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 e6. White opens with 1. d4 (the queen's pawn) and Black answers 1... Nf6. After 6 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

In chessGM's opening book this position continues with 4. Nc3.

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 has a full course for this line: open the Benoni Defense: Modern Variation course lesson.

Related openings

It extends: Benoni Defense (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5)
Continues with: Benoni Defense: Modern Variation, Snake Variation – adds 4. Nc3 exd5 5. cxd5 Bd6
Continues with: Benoni Defense: King's Pawn Line – adds 4. Nc3 exd5 5. cxd5 d6
Related line: Benoni Defense: Weenink Variation (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. dxc5 e6)
Related line: Benoni Defense: Modern Variation, Snake Variation (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 e6 4. Nc3 exd5 5. cxd5 Bd6)
Related line: Benoni Defense: King's Indian System (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 e5 4. Nc3 d6 5. e4 g6)
Related line: Benoni Defense (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 c5 4. d5 exd5 5. cxd5 d6 6. Nc3 g6)
Related line: Benoni Defense: Hromádka System (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 d6)
Related line: Benoni Defense: Fianchetto Variation (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 c5 4. d5 exd5 5. cxd5 d6 6. Nc3 g6 7. g3)

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