tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23075362.post8313178173894926746..comments2024-01-29T13:41:11.764-05:00Comments on Blunder Prone .... Imagination, Inspiration and Improvement: Baffled by the BenkoBlunderPronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08316158004635698398noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23075362.post-28032078537038945962011-06-22T08:47:36.007-05:002011-06-22T08:47:36.007-05:00Played it like a pro. Accept the pawn. 6...Bxa6? i...Played it like a pro. Accept the pawn. 6...Bxa6? is a dubieus move by black look at the game of Portisch. Carlsen also plays this variation. If black plays 6...g6 play a fianchetto but before you castle at move 10.Rb1! Like Kramnik does. And you will be alright.The Caquetio Knighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11392169836632552656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23075362.post-44815374191204492242011-06-20T17:10:52.825-05:002011-06-20T17:10:52.825-05:00Wow. I'd love to be able to get a lesson from ...Wow. I'd love to be able to get a lesson from a different master each week just for the price of playing in a month long tournament.<br />Wish I lived close enough to MWCC to be able to do that.es_trickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15511350526999060149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23075362.post-35337928369171271062011-06-20T13:36:06.753-05:002011-06-20T13:36:06.753-05:00I think another idea that GMs play is 5.b6 giving ...I think another idea that GMs play is 5.b6 giving back the pawn.Jerryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17589452571012876490noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23075362.post-87704688824906394132011-06-19T22:29:06.545-05:002011-06-19T22:29:06.545-05:00When I played it as Black, the f3 lines I liked pl...When I played it as Black, the f3 lines I liked playing against the least, but don't remember as it was over 10 years ago. I also played a couple hundred games with it online, mostly at slower time-controls.<br /><br />I don't remember the theory much anymore and that looks like a sharp line you just showed, I don't even understand it. You can also study the hand-castling line ..Ba6xf1, KxBf1, then Kg2. <br /><br />It's understandable that you are thinking of it as an "Opening" and evaluating it as such, but I think that is basically the wrong thing to do and what most players do. Ask yourself "What kind of _middlegame_ is it?" There are a lot of thing Black would like to do, yet can't without playing dubious moves. <br /><br />Of course Black will win many games because the really relevant thing is the strength of the players regardless of the opening. If they are higher-rated and know the opening better, then of course you are at some disadvantage. The same is true of any opening.LinuxGuyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15764940044950170053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23075362.post-65074041310747238302011-06-19T22:11:43.112-05:002011-06-19T22:11:43.112-05:00I wish my only problem was the Benko. I played th...I wish my only problem was the Benko. I played the Benko as Black at 40/2,G/1 tournaments for a couple years, it was my only defense to 1.d4, so trust me when I say that 'familiarity breeds contempt'. I gave it up because I finally felt that it was simply an unsound pawn sac, and agree with the advice that Dan Heisman gave you.<br /><br />In fact, I think after bxa6..Bxa6 that White is simply winning, and that last I looked I figured ...Nxa6 is probably the only way to play that opening (but I didn't play this line, natch).<br /><br />You posted once before a game that you lost, but you were up a pawn and lost your way in complications that had nothing to do with the opening, per se, IMHO. You are already a better player than you were back then, so it's an invalid comparison. It's value is mostly that it spooks you, and you are not "comfortable" playing against it.<br /><br />I wish all I had to do was play White against the Benko. Seriously, I would switch from 1.e4 and bang on that Benko gambit all day long. I could play the declined, even the bad variations as White. It takes a very dynamic player to truly be a threat with the Benko, a high-skill level, IMHO. Maybe it's a great surprise weapon against certain players, that's about all I can say for it.<br /><br />I won't play 1.d4 because I wouldn't know how to handle everything else, so that is quite an accomplishment for you! :-)LinuxGuyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15764940044950170053noreply@blogger.com