its a bit complicated...
I would advice u not taking b5, and playing for e4.
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 and now, 4.Qc2, idea e4 followed by Nf3 and if black takes c4, then developing with Bxc4.
Or 4.Nd2 with also to push e4.
Thats really more simple than taking b5 which leads to highly complicated play.
12. a4
12. a4
12. a4
sounds right, this is the newly fashionable king walk line right?
Right but...
U get the kind of position which is really hard to play for white.
Taking pawn, as some suggest, just go into the type of position Benko players like, it is unpleasant for white, and u can quickly mess up.
It's ok for very strong players, but who is very strong here??
I like the IM's advice here! Myself play Qc2/Nd2
12. a4
sounds right, this is the newly fashionable king walk line right?
Right but...
U get the kind of position which is really hard to play for white.
Taking pawn, as some suggest, just go into the type of position Benko players like, it is unpleasant for white, and u can quickly mess up.
It's ok for very strong players, but who is very strong here??
12...Qa5! (Rfb8,Ne8-c7(h6,Qa6),e6)
Played by Magnus Carlsen. White has a huge score in this line.
The move is not dangerous. I played it myself as white against GM Aveskulov (chess.com handle LuckyTiger) in a thematic tournament and got precisely nothing as white. But the real issue currently is the early ...Qa5 variations (Aveskulov's and Perunovic's). Both give Black very interesting/ active counterplay.
The only theoretical advantage for white in the Benko lies in the Epishin variation, but the position is quite hard to handle as white: a slight inaccuracy and the tables are turned.
I would suggest 4.Nf3 as a good way to play for a win with little risk, and need for memorization.
pfren is 5.b6 a good way to play for a win without too much risk?
pfren is 5.b6 a good way to play for a win without too much risk?
This is precisely the big idea behind 4.Nf3: After 4.cxb5 a6 5.b6 Black could (and should) liquidate the center with 5...e6, when he may not be playing for a win, but the position becomes very close to equal. Hence 4.Nf3 first (as suggested by Kiril Georgiev in "Squeezing the Gambits") 4...g6 5.cxb5 a6 6.b6! when ...e6 is avoided.
4.Nf3 Bb7 is the suggested way to play, when white's best is probably 5.a4!? Qa5+ 6.Bd2 b4, when the center and queenside are blocked (Black can play ...e5 after a couple of moves) and white enjoys a spatial advantage without having to worry about Black's counterplay. Computers evaluate it as equal, but they are not very good at blocked positions. I tend to agree with Karpov's evaluation of the position being more pleasant to white.
What is a good to play against the benko gambit?