As Black
Modern Benoni
The Modern Benoni is a chess opening for Black that starts with 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6.
An unbalanced structure: White has a central majority and Black a queenside one. The g7 bishop and ...b5 give lots of counterplay.
Reviewed on November 6, 2026 · Prepared by Josep Serrano Ballestero
5 lines
Against 5.Nxd5
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.Nxd5 Nxd5 6.Qxd5 Nc6
Taimanov Attack
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.f4 Bg7 8.Bb5+ Nfd7
Fianchetto Variation
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.Nf3 g6 7.g3 Bg7 8.Bg2 O-O 9.O-O Re8
Classical line
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.Nf3 Bg7 8.Be2 O-O 9.O-O Re8
Against h3 and Bd3
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.Nf3 Bg7 8.h3 O-O 9.Bd3 b5
Frequently asked questions
Is the Modern Benoni good for beginners?
It is better suited to experienced players. On OpeningCraft it is aimed at players with Elo 1800 – 2000. It suits players who like attacks, gambits and open positions.
How many lines of the Modern Benoni 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.