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🔹 Learn the Benko Gambit as Black –
♛ Find the Old Benoni Defense variations shown in the video in this blog-post –
In this video lesson, GM Igor Smirnov will teach you how to counter the Queen’s Pawn opening 1.d4 by playing 1…c5, known as the Old Benoni Defense. The main advantage of this opening is its simplicity—you don’t need to study a lot of complex opening theory.
This defense also neutralizes several of White’s popular opening choices, including the London System, the Jobava London, the Catalan, the Trompowsky, and more. Even if White tries to play the London System with 2.Bf4, it struggles against this opening.
Watch the full video lesson to learn how to play the Old Benoni Defense correctly and how to counter White’s different variations.
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► Chapters
00:00 Old Benoni Defense Chess Opening For Black Against 1.d4
00:12 1) Advantages of the Old Benoni Defense
00:37 2) If White plays 2.c3
02:45 3) If White plays 2.dxc5 (Benoni Gambit Accepted)
03:57 4) If White plays 2.c4
06:13 5) If White plays 2.d5 (advanced players)
09:52 If White does not play dxe6
11:48 If White plays a4 to prevent b5
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► Chapters
00:00 Old Benoni Defense Chess Opening For Black Against 1.d4
00:12 1) Advantages of the Old Benoni Defense
00:37 2) If White plays 2.c3
02:45 3) If White plays 2.dxc5 (Benoni Gambit Accepted)
03:57 4) If White plays 2.c4
06:13 5) If White plays 2.d5 (advanced players)
09:52 If White does not play dxe6
11:48 If White plays a4 to prevent b5
Amazing brilliant
I love making london system players mad! hehe.
Here to stop kids from saying first
hi i guess i am the first commenter. igor can u please teach us only one opening . also some middlegame and endgame pls
Please start a speedrun
Hey Igor- huge fan.
Are you aware that the FIDE Elo has been updated for people below 2000? Just a reminder for when you say that some opening should work for a certain rating-range
How to destroy e4
A lot of traps here, perfect for blitz
Igor, you've done it again. Thank you Sir! I can't wait to try this. 😊😊
Another plan not mention for White is the Smith-Morra Gambit with 2.e4. However, I would be surprised if a d4 player was well versed in a e4 centric gambit.
Nice haircut.
I didnt know old baloney was so good
I always play the Rosen Trap against D4. It works maybe 25% of the time, so it doesn't have a high chance of occuring, but when it does, it's devastating. What I like about it is that it completely shuts down the London system from the very first move too
İ would try bishop f4..
I think London is a bad opening. I beat 2000+ fide rated twice because they played London.
OH MY GOD IGOR THANK YOU I WAS LOOKING AT THIS BUT YOUR VIDEO IS VERY HELPFUL
Sir..what to do if opponent fianchetto their bishops instead of going for london? thanks
2:36 Why does stockfish say it’s a draw? Is it a glitch or is there some crazy line to draw? Is there something with white playing Nc4 and Nd6 with an eventual perpetual somehow?
Have been playing this for a while and really like it. Another plan for developing the queenside that can be useful is instead of developing the bishop to g4, play Na6>Nc7 to support the b5 pawn break
Igor I thank you so much for making this video, I’ve been playing the old Benoni myself for the last couple of months, now I will study it from your end, thank you once again. Your the man
In a video about the Smith Morra Gambit: "This Gambit is super tricky and your opponent will have a hard time knowing all the traps."
Ina video about the Benoni even though in order to play the Benoni you need to know the Smith Morra Gambit in case opponent plays e4: "You don't need to know mich theory!"
30 years ago when I played tournaments I playedthe Benoni a lot. This will give me a hint of those positions with a lot of other neat tactics if they defer.
I used to play the old benonie defense thinking it was my own gambit to derail a central pawn, I usually put the knight under the pawn to stop it from pushing and kinda get a sicilian defense like position
After 1. d4 c5 of course white should play 2. d5. Then if e6 white has Nc3 without having committed to c4 and the other N can go around to c4. This is all stuff "everyone" knows about this setup. But if you know your opponent won't play d5 and is just a one trick pony, I suppose it could be effective. White loses his advantage if he doesn't play d5.
Thank you for helping me get better at a game that I love!!❤❤❤
I highly recommend this it helps a lot thanks 👍
Thank you for these videos. I'm learning a huge amount. Very much appreciated for your clear explanations, wealth of knowledge, and affable manner. Thank you for putting in the time and effort to help us all improve.
"I'm going to drop a link to the Benko Gambit in the description…WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT!!!!"
4:08 double queens gambit (!)
Gave it a try as a 1400. I forgot the best moves in the line and ended up down a pawn early but the position was good enough that once they eventually made a blunder, I was able to go to a winning endgame. I found it simpler than trying to play the NImzo-Indian which is what I had started learning to play against d4. I think I'll be playing more of this one.
interesting… thanks
Sir, you are speaking very fast in all the vdos. Please keep gap between 2 words … so that it is understandable thanks
@GMIgorSmirnov I would like to see a video on the Busch-Gass gambit, whether you think it's a good or dubious opening, how to play it and a good defense more importantly, how to utterly destroy my opponent if they use it! Destruction is not good enough for the Igor Nation, we want utter destruction! 🙂
Great lesson I would like to see you go over the Pirk defense. I have been playing it with good results but feel I need a little more insight
I think Igor is very smart. That's why I am following him. He's always explaining well, calmly and analyse all the possible situations, some of them I don't even think about. I am thinking: "Oh, wow I did not take that move into consideration."
Noooo your ruining my secret
i just want to say, you are an absolute legend.
Me and my dad use your videos as a super weapon against our opponents online and over the board, confident with our Igor inspired preparation.
Weak.
Excellent, well explained content though the pace is a bit too fast for an advanced beginner.
Hi, I couldn't find any videos of Nimzowitsch defense: Berlin gambit, could you make a video about it, how to play it as white (and maybe as black too)?
NOT AGAIN IGOR! I was happy enough with the Hartlaub-Charlick getting me out of my slav-wall blues with EXACTLY the open center and MOBILITY this gambiteer lives or is suffocated by, but now you're gonna make me go back to the drawing board for a more-universal system that'll STAY tough to face after everyone starts dodging trap lines? I was looking into this, but I thought I needed to learn king's indian TOO to play old benoni and I hate fianchettos on either side of the board. I still never got around to studying the albin for hartlaub declined, but if this system gets rid of declined sideline blues, I'll give it a go. If I see g6 though… NOPE O.K. transposing to the benko as a sideline is a big plus as it's way more solid than albin. that was another one that i thought required kings indian to play too. YEP definitely BENKO! I don't like closed and old benoni proper is just stonewalling to me and i don't like having to stonewall birds. WAIT! it gives the bishop a tunnel OUT into the open? WOW! maybe i might like to try THAT, but benko is supposedly more aggressive and has great stats. I still love hartlab charlick annoying sidelines and all. open centers are my favorite. overextended position… mobility against it? that's part of my vocab. I don't like the look of inviting all those pawns so deep AT ALL. i hate pawns more than anything. i lik just getting them out of the way in the hartlaub for the mobility
I really like this video Because i really needed this to play with my opponent and she has “1907”rating.❤.i’m so happy.thank you so much
what happens when their 2nd move is 2.d5? It takes away all the tings Igor talks about on the black side.