As Black
Benko Gambit
The Benko Gambit is a chess opening for Black that starts with 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5.
Black gives a pawn to open the a- and b-files: the rooks and the g7 bishop press on the queenside for the whole game.
Reviewed on November 6, 2026 · Prepared by Josep Serrano Ballestero
5 lines
Gambit accepted: main line
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.bxa6 Bxa6 6.Nc3 d6 7.e4 Bxf1 8.Kxf1 g6 9.g3 Bg7 10.Kg2 O-O
Against 4.Nf3
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.Nf3 g6 5.cxb5 a6
Against 5.e3
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.e3 g6 6.Nc3 Bg7 7.a4 O-O
Against 5.f3
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.f3 e6 6.e4 exd5 7.e5 Qe7
Against 5.b6
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.b6 Qxb6 6.Nc3 d6 7.e4 g6
Frequently asked questions
Is the Benko Gambit good for beginners?
It is better suited to experienced players. On OpeningCraft it is aimed at players with Elo 1600 – 1800. It suits players who like attacks, gambits and open positions.
How many lines of the Benko Gambit do you need to learn?
OpeningCraft teaches 5, in blocks of 5. They come from real Lichess games at each rating band, and the traps and opponent mistakes most common at your level come first.