Franco-Benoni
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e6 3.e4 c5!?
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| How should White respond? |
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4.d5
This is probably objectively best, but there are interesting alternatives.
4.Nf3 cxd4 transposes to a mainline ...e6 Sicilian.
4.e5 can be successfully met by 4...cxd4.
4.dxc5 Bxc5 5.e5 is good for White, but Black can improve, eg 4...Nc6! 5.Be3 Qa5.
4...d6 5.Nf3 a6 6.a4 Be7 7.Be2 0-0 8.0-0
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| Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position? |
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White has more space in the centre and is ahead on development. The c4 square could prove a useful outpost, especially for a white knight, and the b6 square might turn out to be a black weakness. However, Stockfish16.1 and Dragon1 reckon White is only slightly better.
8...e5?!
This represents the loss of a tempo.
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| There are 77 examples of this position in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database, but in most of them it is Black to move |
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9.Nd2!? Ne8
Most popular in Mega24 is 9...Nbd7.
10.Nc4 Nd7
On 10...f5 both 11.a5 and the engines' 11.f4!? look good.
11.a5 Bg5!? 12.Ra3 Bxc1 13.Qxc1
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| Black has swopped his bad bishop for White's good one, but what next? |
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13...b5!?
This is the engines' top choice, along with ...b6, which comes to the same thing.
14.axb6 Nxb6 15.Na5 Qc7
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| How should White proceed? |
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16.Qa1!?
This may not be best. The engines like 16.Qd2, and if, as in the game, 16...f5, then 17.exf5 Rxf5 18.Rfa1 with strong pressure against the black queenside. The text also pressurises the queenside, but leaves the white kingside less well-protected.
16...f5 17.f3 Nf6 18.Qa2 Kh8!? 19.Nc4 g6 20.Nxb6
The engines reckon 20.Nd2!? c4 21.Kh1 is at least slightly better for White.
20...Qxb6 21.Ra1!?
White can get away with this, but more prudent is 21.Kh1 or 21.Qb3.
21...fxe4 22.fxe4 c4+ 23.Kh1 Bg4 24.Rxa6
Capturing on c4, with queen or bishop, leaves the game completely equal, according to the engines.
24...Rxa6 25.Qxa6 Qxa6 26.Rxa6 Bxe2 27.Nxe2 Nxe4 28.Kg1 Rb8
Not 28...Rf2? 29.Nc3! Rf4 30.g3 Rg4 31.Nxe4 Rxe4 32.Kf2!, after which the d6 pawn drops.
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| White to play and draw |
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29.Nc3!
The passive 29.Ra2? runs into 29...Rb5, after which d5 falls.
29...Nxc3 30.bxc3 Rb2
Or 30...Rb1+ 31.Kf2 Rc1 32.Rxd6 Rxc2+ 33.Ke3 Rxc3+ 34.Ke4 with complete equality, according to the engines.
31.Rxd6 Rxc2 32.Re6 Rxc3 33.Rxe5 Rd3 34.Re4 ½–½
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