Benko Gambit

There are few Benko Gambit works out there, and most of them are clearly outdated. This book however provides complete ,up-to-date, and original analysis. In the introduction, Pinski goes over key themes, ideas, pawn structures, and knight maneuvers! Theory is presented in illustrative games format which suits the Benko Gambit opening where it is not theory intensive. Pinski plays the Benko gambit himself, and this is a confidence boost to see the authors games included in here. It is also proof that Pinski knows what he is talking about. Here are the table of contents:1. Gambit Accepted I2. Gambit Accepted II3. Gambit Accepted III4. Positional 5. b65. Ambitious 5. e36. 5. f37. 5. Nc38. SidelinesAnother thing about this book that is also incredible is the fact that after EVERY game, Pinski has a Game Conclusion...not every chapter but every game! Which helps reinforce man ideas and plans and to also explain where the losing player went wrong. That is provided on top of his lucid "in game" annotions.All in all, this is an excellent book on the Benko, while his love for this system is evident and inspiring. I would even reccommend that you take up this opening because it causes quite a few headaches for white players who don't know how to handle it well, especially club players. The Benko is both extremely sound, and fully playable, providing complete winning chances. Pal Benko (creator of this gambit) only lost 3 games in his career I believe with this opening.Can't reccomend this book enough.Please rate accordingly if this review was helpful.

This is beatiful small book about Benko gambit. Highly recommend... Well done...

This is another home run for Quality Chess publishing! Jan Pinski took some time and effort with this book from beginning to end, bringing the reader up to speed thoroughly on the Benko Gambit Accepted, Declined and alternate moves White can make to avoid this line of play. The diagrams in the "Introduction to Benko Structures" section of the book are totally AWESOME in helping the reader KNOW what is involved in playing this opening and key points of piece manuvering, placement and strategies. This book is dated but really, the more things change, the more they remain the same....Great book, Great Buy! As a note, more of the cuurent chess book publishers have their currently sold books on their website in pdf format for public viewing. Remember to check out publisher's websites BEFORE you buy!

The Benko Gambit is still very much alive and for its devotees this is a very good book. Jan Pinski introduces us to an opening he loves and plays so you feel his passion for the ideas behind the opening and not just the memorizing of lines of moves. A good read and a very good introduction to this opening. I found the example games very instructive.

Jan Pinski did a great job in writing this book on the Benko. Many games are covered, both in the gambit accepted and declined, with analysis throughout covering entire games. This is helpful for a patzer like me, where middlegame and endgame ideas are learned at the same time as the opening itself (I know, they are directly linked, but I'm not a fan of opening coverage that stops after 10-15 moves.Benko structures are covered, as well as typical thematic ideas. Not that the Benko accepted is overly subtle, but various ways of creating pressure down the a and b files are critical techniques. As in any good chess book, it includes an index of variations, which is very helpful.In summary: Useful, detailed, and a high quality book.

I have quite a few different books on the benko, and have played it religiously for over a decade at the club and tournament level. The introduction in the book is worth the price alone. I dont agree with all of the author's recommendations as far as repetoire, but he is rated far higher than me and perhaps at top level chess he is correct, but I doubt many people here play top level chess. Strongly recommend the book for class players who play the benko of want to know what to do against it.

This is a superb little book, however for my liking, it does not cover enough alterntative lines and lacks comprehensive analysis of the illustrative games. This is more than made up for by the introduction, which is a comprehensive 23 page disertation on the Benko Gambit pawn structure featuring 8 illustrative games and other part games.Chapters 1-3 follow Benko Gambit fully accepted lines:Chapter 1 follows the line 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.bxa6 g6! and features 3 illustrative games.Chapter 2 follows the line " " 6. Nc3 Bxa6 7.e4 and featues 8 illustrative games.Chapter 3. follows the line " " 6.g3 and features 8 illustrative games.Chapters 4-7 follow Benko Gambit partially declined lines:Chapter 4. follows the line " " 5.b6!? and features 5 illustrative games.Chapter 5. follows the line " " 5.e3 and features 4 illustrative games.Chapter 6. follows the line " " 5.f3 and featutes 5 illustrative games.Chapter 7. follows the line " " 5. Nc3 axb5! and features 2 illustrative games.Chapter 8 briefly canvases 5 Benko Gambit fully declined lines: 4.Bg5, 4.Qc2, 4.Nf3, 4.Nd2 and 4.a4This book needs to be complimented with the 2011 Play the Benko Gambit, which also does not cover enough alterntative lines and lacks comprehensive analysis of the illustrative games. However it gives a more detailed covereage of 5. f3, 5. b6 and canvases 7 other Benko Gambit Declined lines. It also covers two "anit Benko lines": 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.Nf3 and 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3. d5 b5 4.Bg5 Ne4.

I have returned to chess after a long gap, and bought this book to provide an update to my 1978 Batsford publication.As a former average club player & now distinctly rusty, I found this a very useful publication concentrating as it does on ideas rather than specific lines. The ideas are clearly set out and I look forward to testing its suggestions during the 2009-10 season.

This is a very well written introduction, which gives the key principles as well as the variations.