g3 Benoni by GM Magesh and GM Arun

Submitted by GM arunabi on Wed, 12/01/2010 at 9:06pm.

This week we shall see an idea against the Benoni system. The g3 fianchetto system is one of the strongest replies against the Benoni. Benoni is one of the dynamic systems where Black seeks counterplay on both wings and white needs to be careful in handling them. With the fianchetto structure white keeps his king safe and prepares a central break with e4,f4,e5 with the help of the knight on c4.

As we have mentioned in one of our previous articles, it is very important to get the central breakthrough when the opponent is creating an initiative on either wing. This is the basic idea for white against the Benoni and if white manages to get the central break he will mostly come out successful as most of his pieces will be optimally placed to launch a decisive attack. In the meantime black will try to get his wing activity before white can get this central break and this struggle will decide the outcome of this system.

Our first game is Grischuk-Vocaturo, Olympiad 2010. In this game Black sacrificed a pawn and tried to create counterplay on the queenside. Black had a good position but soon misplayed and lost the game.

Grischuk, A. (2760) vs. Vocaturo, D. (2581)

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. c4c5 4. d5 d6 5. Nc3 g66. g3 exd5 7. cxd5 Bg78. Bg2 O-O 9. O-O Re810. Nd2 a6 11. a4 Nbd712. h3 ( 12. Nc4 Ne513. Na3 ( 13. Nxe5 Rxe514. Bf4 Re8 15. Qc2 Ng416. Rab1 Qc7 17. h3 Ne518. Ne4 Bf5 19. g4 Bxe420. Bxe4 b5 21. b4 c4 )14... Nh5 14. h3 f515. Kh2 g5 16. e4 g417. f4 gxf3 18. Bxf3 Nf619. Bg2 Nxe4 20. Ne2 b521. Bf4 Rb8 22. axb5axb5 23. Qc2 h5 )12... Rb8 ( 12... Nh513. Nce4 Ndf6 14. Nxf6+Qxf6 15. Nc4 Rb8 16. Ra3Bd7 17. Rf3 Qe7 18. g4Nf6 19. Bf4 Ne4 20. Re3Qf6 21. Bh2 b5 22. Na5 )13. Nc4 Ne5 ( 13... Qc714. Bf4 Bf8 15. a5 b516. axb6 Nxb6 17. Na5 )14. Na3 Nh5 15. e4 Bd7 (15... Rf8 16. Kh2 Bd717. Qe2 f5 18. f4 fxe419. fxe5 Nxg3 20. Rxf8+Qxf8 21. Qe1 Bxe522. Nc4 Nf1+ 23. Kg1Bd4+ 24. Ne3! ( 24. Kh1Bxh3 25. Qxf1 Qxf1+26. Bxf1 Bxf1 27. Nxd6Rf8 28. Ndxe4 Rf3 )24... Nxe3 25. Bxe3 Be526. Qh4 ) 16. a5 ( 16. g4b5 17. axb5 axb518. Naxb5 Bxb5 19. Nxb5Rxb5 20. gxh5 Qb6 )16... b5 17. axb6 Bb5 (17... Rxb6 18. f4 Nxg319. Rf2 Rb4 20. fxe5Bxe5 21. Nc2 f5?22. Nxb4 cxb4 23. Ne2Qh4 24. Be3 fxe425. Nd4! ( 25. Qd2 Nxe2+26. Qxe2 Qg3 27. Rxa6Bxh3 28. Kf1 Bg4??29. Qb5 Rc8 30. Rc6 )25... Bxh3 26. Bxh3 Qxh327. Rh2 Ne2+ 28. Rxe2Qg3+ 29. Kf1 Rf8+30. Rf2 Qxe3 31. Rxf8+Kxf8 32. Ne6+ Ke733. Qc2 ) 18. Naxb5 axb519. Nxb5 Qxb6 20. Na3Qb3 ( 20... c4 21. Kh2Qc5 22. Be3 Qb4 23. Nc2Qxb2 24. Ra6 Red825. Nd4 c3 26. Nc6 c227. Qc1 Nxc6 28. Rxc6Rbc8 29. Qd2 Rxc630. dxc6 Rc8 31. e5Qxe5 32. Rc1 ) 21. Kh2Qxd1 22. Rxd1 Rb323. g4 Nf6 24. Kg1 Nfd725. f4 Nf3+ 26. Kf2 Nh427. Nc4 Bd4+ 28. Kf1 Rg329. Nxd6 Rxg2? (29... Rb8! ) 30. Rxd4!cxd4 31. Nxe8 Nc532. Nf6+ Kg7 33. g5 Nd334. Ng4 Rc2 35. d6 Nc536. f5 gxf5 37. exf5 Nxf538. Bf4 Rxb2 39. Rc1 Rb540. Rxc5 Rxc5 41. d7 Rd542. Nf6 Rxd7 43. Nxd7Kg6 44. Ne5+ Kh5 45. Nf3

P \|<<<<>>>>\|
FLIP	SHARE	ANALYZE	PGN

Black committed an error on the 29th move and was never able to get back into the game. 29. ... Rb8 was a possible improvement and the struggle would have continued. Anyways the opening was still a success for Black even though he later misplayed and lost. Our next game is Harikrishna-Al Modiahki Asian Games 2010.

Harikrishna, P. (2657) vs. Al Modiahki, M. (2562)

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3Bg7 4. Bg2 O-O 5. Nc3 c56. d5 d6 7. Nf3 e6 8. O-Oexd5 9. cxd5 a6 10. a4Re8 11. Nd2 Nbd7 12. h3Rb8 13. Nc4 Ne5 14. Na3Nh5 15. e4 Bd7 16. a5Qxa5 17. g4 Nf6 18. f4Nexg4 19. hxg4 Nxg420. f5 h5 ( 20... Bd4+21. Kh1 Nf2+ 22. Rxf2Bxf2 23. Bg5 Qc7 24. Nc2Bg3 25. Ne3 h5 (25... gxf5 26. Qh5 Be527. Rg1 f6 28. Bh6 Re729. Bh3+ Kh8 30. Bxf5Rg8 31. Rxg8+ Kxg832. Be6+ Kh8 33. Nf5Bxe6 34. dxe6 Bxc335. Nxe7 ) 26. Qf3 Be527. Nc4 Bg7 28. Qg3 Be529. Nxe5 dxe5 30. Rf1 ) (20... Ne5 21. Bg5 ( 21. f6Bh8 22. Bg5 Qd8 23. Nc2h6 24. Bh4 g5 25. Bg3Bxf6 26. Ne3 ) 21... h622. Nc4 Qb4 23. Nxe5Bxe5 24. fxg6 fxg6 )21. Qf3 Qd8 22. Nc2 (22. Nc4!? Bd4+ 23. Kh1Bb5 ( 23... Qh4+ 24. Qh3Nf2+ 25. Rxf2 Qxf226. Bd2 ) 24. Nxb5 axb525. fxg6 fxg6 26. Qf7+Kh8 27. Ra3 Re728. Qxg6 Rg7 29. Qxh5+ (29. Qxd6 bxc4 30. Qxd8+Rxd8 ) 30... Rh7 30. Rh3Rxh5 31. Rxh5+ Kg832. Nxd6 Nf2+ 33. Rxf2Bxf2 34. e5 Qa5 35. Rg5+Kf8 36. Rf5+ Kg837. Rg5+ ) 22... Qh4 (22... gxf5 23. exf5 Re524. Bf4 Rxf5 25. Qg3 )23. Bf4 Be5 24. Qh3Qxh3 25. Bxh3 gxf526. Bxe5 Rxe5 27. Bxg4hxg4?! ( 27... fxg428. Rf6 b5 ( 28... Bb529. Rxd6 Bd3 30. Ne3Bxe4 31. Nxe4 Rxe432. Nf5 ) 29. Rxd6 Be830. Rdxa6 b4 31. Na4Bxa4 32. R1xa4 Rxe4 )28. Ne3 b5? ( 28... fxe429. Rf6 ( 29. Nc4 f530. Nxe5 dxe5 31. Ra5Rc8 32. Na4 f4 33. Rxc5Rd8 ) ) 29. Nxf5 b430. Ne2 ( 30. Nh6+ Kg731. Nxf7 bxc3 32. Nxe5cxb2 33. Rf7+ Kg834. Rb1 Ba4 35. Rf2 dxe536. Rfxb2 ) 30... Bxf531. Rxf5 Rxe4 32. Ng3Re3 ( 32... Rd4 33. Rg5+Kh7 34. Nf5 Rd2 35. Rg7+Kh8 36. Rxf7 ) 33. Rg5+Kf8 34. Nf5 Rh3 35. Rxg4Rh5 36. Rf1 Rb6 37. Rgf4a5 38. Ng3 Rh7 39. Ne4Rg7+ 40. Kf2 Rg6 41. Ke3Rb7 42. Rf6 Rxf6 43. Rxf6Rb6 44. b3 Ke7 45. Rf1Rb8 46. Ra1 Rh8 47. Rxa5Rh3+ 48. Kf4 Rd349. Ra7+ Kf8 50. Nxd6Rxd5 51. Ne4 Kg752. Rc7 Rd3 53. Nxc5Rh3 54. Ne6+ Kg655. Nd4 Rh4+ 56. Ke3 f557. Rc6+ Kh5 58. Nxf5Rh3+ 59. Kf4

P \|<<<<>>>>\|
FLIP	SHARE	ANALYZE	PGN

Again it was Black who had a good position but managed to spoil his chances and lost the game. Even though Black got four pawns for the piece, his pawns structure was very weak and White just followed the tradional idea of getting his knight to c4 attacking the d6-pawn and soon the whole structure collapsed. We hope the readers got an idea about the Benoni system and ways to counter it. This g3 system was recommended by GM Boris Avrukh in his book 1.d4 Grandmaster Repertoire Volume 2. We recommend to our readers to read this book to get a broader picture about this system.

» posted in Opening Theory