How to play against the benoni for white? Any resources?

I've been really struggling to play against the benoni and benko (benko I am more comfortable with) for white. Anyone know any resources that can teach me how to get better at these openings? I am willing to study any books, games, videos, or any other resources that will help. Thanks in advance!

Against the Modern Benoni the Taimanov Attack is the most challenging for black to face, but against the Benko I don't know, since I don't actually play d4-c4.

You might want to do some research of your own, like googling and stuff.

No, you are better off with a resource written by someone with credibility.  Not the garbage you see on U-Tube.

Many of the Benoni books are written as repertoires for Black, like Opening Repertoire: The Modern Benoni, or The Modernized Delayed Benoni.

However, available at chess4less.com (not sure which other online shops carry it, Amazon does not carry books by Chess-Stars) is a book called Dreev Vs the Benoni, which covers what to do against it from White's perspective.

If you want a more objective book not written from one side or the other, there is Chess Explained: The Modern Benoni, but it is over 10 years old and could be dated.

Not everything on YT is complete garbage. You don't need the latest book by the most credible authors to play. You can find other resources...

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLssNbVBYrGcB9CsVX8pErxKpIRPc79FVT

If you want to be 1600 for ever, go right ahead.

The advice I give is for those looking for a 2 as the the first digit of a 4 digit rating.

I agree that YT videos are not for serious study.

But Google is still helpful for that purpose. At least the search engine will give you a list of reputable books to choose from. You can also search for books reviews, recommendations and sample pages etc.

The advice you give is about openings. Openings don't have anything to do with ratings of a specific level.

I provided a resource, no guarantees of 1600 or 2000.

Toot your horn about your rating as credibility, if you wish.

Thanks everyone! I am probably going to look at both online videos and read some books and hope that will make my reply against the benoni better. I'll also look at some master games on the chess.com database on my own

ThrillerFan's suggestions are very good. Don't get me wrong. Mine was to give you something to help you immediately get going.

I think you've made a good decision on your course of action.

Many opening books cover via complete games, especially repertoire books.  If you study the entire game seriously, and you have studied tactics, strategy, and endgame in the past, you can pick up a lot from an opening book beyond just the opening.

The days of the John Nunn 320-page database dump with line C6a4b32 is obsolete!

If you are an 800 player that can't avoid hanging pieces, don't know Lucena's position and Philidor's Draw like the back of your hand, and know nothing about strategy, then studying an opening book at all is TOTALLY USELESS!

@ThrillerFan those are valid points, and I think opening books are good (when I said to google stuff, I didn't just mean to watch videos), but the OP has a 1700+ blitz rating, and I think he/she doesn't hang pieces like the plague and knows basic drawn endgames.

I don't see the Taimanov Attack as challenging compared with the modern counterattacking lines where an early h3 is played but there's no attempt to stop black expanding on the Q-side, and then white counterattacks. Google modern positional lines.

Like I said I don’t play the Benoni from either side so I wouldn’t know.

I think the hardest lines for Black to face is the modern line where White goes Bf4 Bd3 h3 and a4 after a6. White remains flexible and can put a pawn on either e4 or play more restrained with e3.

Dated or "obsolete" books are preferable. More recent books usually omit busted lines and theory that has been refuted or worked out.

I would rather have the content, that I can check with an engine, than not have it at all.

Older books often analyze early deviations in minute detail.

Once I combed over the Levenfish Attack in the Sicilian Dragon with opening explorer in both chess.com and chessgames.com, and old ECO, and an obsolete book.

There was A LOT more content in the so called obsolete book, and it just required checking with an engine. Shockingly, most of the analysis was accurate.

However, I do agree that old school data-dumps should be avoided, if not thrown into a camp fire.

Learn to follow conversations.  Nowhere did I ever say the OP was 800.  I quoted another post.  I am replying to that post, not the original post.

Posts 4 and 5 are to help the OP.  Clearly I am making a point that post 11 is wrong in saying that opening books only cover openings, and why that is so.  Then the final paragraph points out that it assumes you have some background knowledge of other parts of the game, and that if you are 800 and have not read other books first, the entire opening book would be useless.

I never said the OP was 800.  The OP is not the only person on the planet with issues understanding the Benoni.

Your whole idea of "checking with an engine" is somewhat flawed.  Engines are no good at evaluating openings.  Most engines see the Kings Indian or Modern Defense as +1 from the word go.

Engines are also horrible at endgame unless you download tablebases, which are up to 7 pieces now.

Without tablebases, artificial intelligence will tell you KRN vs KR with no immediate skewer or fork will tell you the position is +3 when it is really 0.00!

Artificial Intelligence should not be trusted in the early stages of the game, nor the endgame.

Engines are best for finding forcing combinations (even if it is 12 moves deep just to win a pawn) and blunder checks.

In other aspects of the game, like strategy, it will USUALLY be right, but will miss a positional gem move every now and then.

The worst is position assessment the first 10 to 15 moves, and drawns endgames of material imbalance, like KRB vs KR, or KRN vs KR, or KQ vs KRP with the fortress set up, or KBP vs K where P is a rook pawn and Bishop is wrong color.

Post #11 doesn't say opening books only cover openings. It says your snide remarks and advice don't have anything to do with ratings.

For someone that reads many books, your comprehension is need of some work.

Not only that, you always seem to need the last say in every conversation. I'll let you have it, now.