Benko Gambit Accepted

The Benko Gambit begins when Black plays ...b5 against White's center based on d5 and c4. The accepted branch starts with cxb5. Black answers ...a6, offering another pawn to open queenside lines. If White also plays bxa6, the gambit is fully accepted.

Unlike many gambits, Black is not necessarily seeking an immediate king attack. Black gives a pawn for positional compensation, a combination of active pieces, easy movement from their starting squares, and pressure that may last for many moves. After a bishop recaptures on a6, Black's rooks commonly work on the a- and b-files, the board's vertical lines, against White's queenside pawns.

White has extra material but must bring the remaining pieces out from their starting squares without becoming tied to pawn defense. Returning some material can be the best way to neutralize Black's activity. Trying to keep every pawn at any cost may leave White's pieces passive and the king poorly coordinated.

Accepted does not mean White must also capture on a6. The term covers lines in which White takes on b5, while the later bxa6 creates the fully accepted structure. If White does not capture on b5, play enters the Benko Gambit Declined.