Learn
The big idea
What the Benko Gambit is really about.
One of the most positionally clear gambits in chess. Black offers the b-pawn not for a quick attack but for permanent, low-risk pressure: the a- and b-files swing open, and Black's rooks and fianchettoed bishop bear down on White's queenside for the rest of the game. Even in endgames the pressure lingers, which makes it remarkably safe for a gambit.
- White's plan: Decide whether to accept the pawn. If you take, hold the extra material while untangling your kingside pieces and neutralising the open-file and long-diagonal pressure that Black gets in return.
- Black's plan: Give up the b-pawn for lasting initiative: open the a- and b-files, fianchetto on g7, double rooks against White's queenside, and let the pressure grind — comfortable even without the pawn.
What does Black get for the pawn in the Benko Gambit?
Answer the question to keep going!