Considering the Budapest

Someone who choose an unsound opening its difficult to reach a time or pursuit where requires someone to guide him like IM Pfren.

That's what attracted me to it in the first place but the statistics and coach recommendations made me reconsider.  

True, statistics don't play chess but they do give an indication of probabilities and various factors go into them, such as the imbalances arising out of the openings and the endgames that will eventually arise.  

Yup. 

But if you really want to look at stats, in the 1700-2300 range, White wins more than he draws in the Berlin. (~39% white wins to 33% draws). The Berlin is one of the less drawish lines!

Topalov has repeatedly used the Modern Benoni throughout his career. Here's one of his most famous wins. Igor Stohl analysed this one extensively in Instructive Modern Chess Masterpieces

And here's one of Kasparov's most famous wins in the Modern Benoni as Black. His sac probably wasn't quite sound, but he was definitely channelling his inner Tal:

@ Smyslovfan

Sorry man, you are not know what are you talking about! Garry Kasparov was the chess player who refuted the Modern Benoni in the early 80's when he used the Taimanov attack against it and he personally abandoned it. The game you have posted its perhaps the only one Garry have played!

As for the Topalov's game. This might be consider a masterpiece few decades before but worth nothing in now days. Vugar Gashimov have played better games with it that contributed more in to the opening theory.

The Flick-Knife/Taimanov can't be played if White has already played Nf3. And no, as great as Kasparov was, it was others who did the work on it. There were a bunch of English GMs in the 1990s who burned considerable midnight oil playing and analysing the Black side of the Taimanov. In fact, I can't find a single game where Kasparov was on the White side of the Taimanov Attack. 

Here's one game in the Taimanov attack:

Artur Yusupov did some killer analysis of this for White, but it's still played by top GMs. John Watson, an expert in the Modern Benoni, has stated that he believes Black's position is close to busted in this line, and recommends the Modern Benoni only after White has played Nf3. 

Here's a more recent example of Black's play in the Taimanov:

The point is that the Modern Benoni is still alive and well at the GM level. The Budapest isn't.

Looks like the Budapest has a solid bust:

4...g5 sure looks like a fun blitz weapon. 

 Smyslovfan?! You are not kidding!

This is against computer!

Yes, I missed those games of Kasparov because I'd narrowed my search too much. My Mistake.

I was aware of Kasparov's games, and even discussed Kasparov's contributions back in 2007 in an online analysis of the Taimanov variation. I just missed them in my current search because I was looking for recent games. Again, My Mistake. Having said that, I still believe that Yusupov's analysis was the real challenge to the Flick-Knife. Most of the games you quote occurred before the Brits started analysing it in the 1990s. 

Anyway, what exactly is your point now? I thought your point was that the Modern Benoni isn't very good and is a main reason that Gashimov didn't make it to the top 10 in the world. Gashimov reached #6 in the world and died before he was 30, of a brain tumor. I have a feeling his tumor had more to do with his not doing even better than his choice of the Modern Benoni. But that's just me.

I have pointed out that other GMs, including Kasparov and Topalov, have played the Modern Benoni. Kasparov played the Modern Benoni several times as a junior. Tal also used it more as a junior than he did later in life. 

So again, what is your real point regarding the Modern Benoni? Is it still that you believe it was so bad that it kept Gashimov from becoming a top-ten player even though he reached the #6 spot in the world and died of a tumor?

@ Smyslovfan

Yes! You know I played/study a lot of Gashimov games because the Modern Benoni tempted me huge! after I abandoned the Budapest so I took a serious look and to his results! Vugar gave a hell of a battle against the Taimanov where no one else had discovered resources he found and not only in this variation but in others too. The problem always was that he invested his brilliance to defend an already difficult position-pawn structure. He achieved No 6 but he quickly felt down because of a series unlucky results in tournaments where he insisted to use the Benoni even when he's mental Illness didn't allow him to remain as sharp as he was before! The Modern Benoni it's a defense that requires awakening all the time, there is no second for inaccurate play or thought and that's why most of the modern GM's avoid to use it at critical major events, like candidates or final games.

After I inspired from Gashimov play in the Benoni, I become interest to see how he was doing with other opening ideas where I noticed also that in the Slav-Schlechter variation had also very accurate play and there I concluded that he had to give some space and time to his talent to explore and expertise something more than the Modern Benoni.

I am not trying to compare the Budapest with the Modern Benoni, I know that in the Benoni blacks chances for counter play it's by far superior, I just used the example to show that few GM's stick in to a opening and dedicated with out take back what their dedication worth!

Agreed, Pfren. But it's really hard to admit to having made a mistake. 

What is annoying IM Pfren? You said that GM Wojtaszek use the Benoni frequently....ok then! If Radoslaw ever achieve to win something in his chess carrier by using the Modern Benoni frequently let me know about it.

I never said that Vugar had problems to play the modern Benoni but the opening its already a difficult position to defend and your wife knows more than you about! You should ask her...

You mean the rarely played 4...g5 sideline against the Rubenstein has a bust. This isn't really the Budapest proper, and is more in a similar category to the Fajarowics variation.

Though still, I don't know if 4...g5 is so bad in practical play. I've never been tempted to play it, but I noticed someone on Lichess who plays it every chance he gets. He seems to be doing well with it, take a look. http://en.lichess.org/bEP1KUcq/black#17 Of course it's a blitz game so take it for what it's worth, just putting this guy out here for those interested. I spectate his games sometimes. Though his "blitz" rating is low his rating for what lichess terms "classical games" is actually one of the highest on the site. Lichess's definition of classical is basically "blitz games with an increment".

Ok, Mr. Pfren let's leave the trush talk and speak the truth! If you ever had the opportunity to prepare a world championship match as a second for one of your pupils/students did you consider to suggest a Modern Benoni bunch of lines or you find that there are more favorable ideas for black against 1.d4 ? I am sure you do. I don't understand why you disagree in to something you already agree! : The Modern Benoni is a difficult pawn structure to defend.

For you maybe, for others, no.

Well, while I am sure that coaching-guiding two women for a competition it's not a piece of cake and congratulations for WGM Kouvatsou success. I thought that in a major event like a final game match the role of a coach should be to suggest the better choices when his student/player has the ability to play rather equal many opening ideas. I agree with your final statement but there are always preferences when you have a lot of weapons to choose for.

So...I change my question and I say what if your student ask your opinion in what to choose irrelevant from his opponent and abilitys. What you will recommend? It's the Modern Benoni defense the best suggestion?

Thank you, for your time to answer my question. Yes the Modern Benoni is a opening that requires a particular style of play considering the weakness and the potential counter play.

As you see I don't dare to ask if you will ever recommend the Budapest gambit. Lol...it's not about the style of play, anymore.

4...g5 looked bad to me too, but Chessbase gave it a hot bar with an implication of gaining theoretical traction.  4...Nc6 has far more games however so that's currently the mainline.  My engine personally seems to like 4...Bb4+ best, which actually makes far more sense ironically from a human perspective than 4...g5.