Benko Gambit

The Benko Gambit begins after White has advanced the queen pawn and c-pawn, Black advances the c-pawn to c5, White pushes the queen pawn to d5, and Black answers by advancing the b-pawn to b5. A gambit is a deliberate offer of material, usually a pawn, in exchange for time, activity, or the initiative, meaning the ability to create threats that keep the opponent responding. In the Benko, the offered pawn is on the queenside, the half of the board where the queen begins.

If White accepts, Black can offer another exchange with the a-pawn and later recapture with a piece. Black does not always need to win the pawn back quickly. Once Black's a- and b-pawns disappear, those files become half-open for Black's rooks: no black pawns block the vertical lines, while white pawns can remain as targets. Black's bishop can also gain a long diagonal toward that area, so queenside pressure can last for many moves.

This makes the Benko different from many short-term tactical gambits. Black's compensation, meaning the advantages received in return for the sacrificed material, is often positional and long-lasting: active lines, fixed targets, and practical difficulty for White in turning the extra pawn into a safe advantage. White can accept, decline, or return the pawn if doing so reduces Black's activity.

The Benko trades a pawn for lasting pressure

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Startb5cxb5a6bxa6Bxa6

...b5 attacks c4 and offers the b-pawn to draw White's c-pawn away from the central chain.

...b5 offers the pawn to deflect c4

Black does not seek immediate material recovery. The aim is to open the queenside and develop with initiative.

1. ...b5 attacks c4 and offers the b-pawn to draw White's c-pawn away from the central chain.