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Why Do So Many 1.D4 Players Hate Facing the Benoni Defense?

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Avatar of mshaune
mshaune
Jun 9, 2019
0
#21

I play the Benoni, I also play 1 d4. The Benoni (especially at the club level) is just fine. I've played it almost exclusively since the 90s and always reach decent positions. If Black knows what's going on he should be fine.

Avatar of wollyhood
wollyhood
Jun 9, 2019
0
#22
little_guinea_pig wrote:

Quote from a lower rated player on facing my Benoni: "Grrr..I hate the Benoni! Hate the Benoni! Woof! Snarl! Grrr…" (said after losing to it for the 4th time in a row )

I guess it's because they learn lots of theory on the QGD and King's Indian, and then they get faced with the Benoni.... Kind of like the White players who learn tons of theory in the Najdorf and the Dragon, only to see 1....a6!

yay, so the moral of your story could be, study more randomly, or don't study ? ! D

Avatar of Laskersnephew
Laskersnephew
Jun 9, 2019
0
#23
They don't! Many strong d4 players lick their chops when Black plays the Benoni
Avatar of Jim1
Jim1
Jun 9, 2019
0
#24
Laskersnephew wrote:
They don't! Many strong d4 players lick their chops when Black plays the Benoni

Maybe so among GM's but not at club level. Seems whenever I play...c5 inviting the Benoni the White player refuses to play d5, accepting it.

Avatar of YureaLily
YureaLily
Jun 9, 2019
0
#25

Jim1 wrote:

Laskersnephew wrote:
They don't! Many strong d4 players lick their chops when Black plays the Benoni

Maybe so among GM's but not at club level. Seems whenever I play...c5 inviting the Benoni the White player refuses to play d5, accepting it.

i exclusively play modern benoni against d4 but in online game, after 1.d4 1.nf6 there's a 50% chance that white will play 2.c4. after i insert the move 2.c5, only like 1 out of 20 plays 3.d5, most of people usually autopilot 2.nc3 and after cxd4 qxd4 nc6 qd1 i always get easy equality. in otb tournament i use modern benoni too against d4 but guess what, 100% of them play 1.e4 . even in online game, white only play d4 in 1 out of 10 games. guess my time studying benoni is wasted

Avatar of Optimissed
Optimissed
Jun 9, 2019
0
#26

I think I know the answer. I would say that the Modern Benoni is the most difficult opening in chess and that makes it too difficult for many players.

Avatar of Optimissed
Optimissed
Jun 9, 2019
0
#27

I also like playing against the Benoni least of all. I play 1. d4 all the time, but I wouldn't dream of not playing d5 because it's the only way to gain an advantage against the Benoni and many Benoni players mess up badly. But against someone who really knows what he's doing, it can be difficult. I normally play my own (or a lesser known) variation of the knights tour where white plays an early e4.

Avatar of benonidoni
benonidoni
Jun 9, 2019
0
#28

White is still for choice in the opening of the Benonisurprise.png

Avatar of ANOK1
ANOK1
Jun 10, 2019
0
#29

I think duke nukem says it best

"I must become the thing I hate "

the benoni is a good option v 1 d4 , and worth looking into if you cant stand seeing it played v you

Avatar of Chessflyfisher
Chessflyfisher
Jun 10, 2019
0
#30

Many Modern Benoni players fear the Taimanov Variation. That is when White combines f4 with Bb5+. This line is so difficult for Black to face (especially in correspondence games of which I play a lot), Black often delays ...c5 until White plays Nf3 blocking the f4 advance. What Black does is play ...e6 first before playing ...c5. The problem is that Black may be forced into a Nimzo-Indian with ...Bb4 or some type of QGD with an early Nc3 played by White.

Avatar of wollyhood
wollyhood
Jun 10, 2019
0
#31
ANOK1 wrote:

I think duke nukem says it best

"I must become the thing I hate "

the benoni is a good option v 1 d4 , and worth looking into if you cant stand seeing it played v you

RANDY.........Randyyyyyyyyy (whispers Mr. Lahey) I AM the Benoni

 

Avatar of BonTheCat
BonTheCat
Jun 10, 2019
0
#32

Do we? I don't. I don't sigh inwardly when I'm faced with the Benoni or the Benko (nor the King's Indian). On the contrary, I enjoy playing against those openings.