Playing Against the Benoni

This post will illustrate my system as White against the Benoni, which is to fianchetto my King Bishop. I will first give the book line (which I've never looked at till now) which most closely corresponds to how people usually play against me in this variation.

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 e6

Black can sidestep the Catalan and transpose into the Benoni via 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 g3 c5 4 d5. Since I also play the Catalan, the fianchetto vaiation gives me a Benoni I feel at home with.

4 Nc3 ed 5 cd d6 6 Nf3 g6 7 g3 Bg7 8 Bg2 0-0 9 0-0 a6 10 a4 Nbd7 11 Bf4 Qc7 12 e4 Re8 13 Qc2 Rb8 14 a5 Nh5 15 Be3 with an edge to White.

Here is a game I just played this morning. I work long and hard to get in the thematic central Pawn pushes (f4, e5 & d6), and finally accomplish this on the 33rd move!

chessart(1535)-Goliat(1528), 3/31/08, 2,10

1. d4 c5 2. d5 Nf6 3. c4 g6 4. Nc3 Bg7 5. g3 O-O 6. Bg2 d6 7. Nf3 a6 8. a4e6 9. O-O exd5 10. cxd5 Re8 11. Re1 b6 12. e4 Nbd7 13. Bf4 Qc7 14. Rc1 Bb715. b4 Rac8 16. bxc5 bxc5 17. Nd2 Ne5 18. Bxe5 Rxe5 19. Nc4 Ree8 20. a5 Nd721. Kh1 Ne5 22. Nxe5 Bxe5 23. f4 Bd4 24. Qa4 Re7 25. Ne2 Bg7 26. Rb1 Rce827. Kg1 Bc8 28. Rbd1 Bd7 29. Qa2 Bb5 30. e5 Qd7 31. Nc3 dxe5 32. Nxb5 axb533. d6 Re6 34. Bd5 Rxd6 35. Bxf7+ Qxf7 36. Qxf7+ Kxf7 37. Rxd6 exf4 38. Rxe8Kxe8 39. gxf4 Ke7 40. Rb6 b4 41. Rb7+ {Black resigns} 1-0

And here are 2 games from my ICC library.

chessart(1812)-sofus(1914), 9/6/96, 3,3

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5 4. d5 exd5 5. cxd5 d6 6. Nf3 g6 7. g3 Bg7 8. Bg2 O-O 9. O-O a6 10. a4 Re8 11. Nd2 Bg4 12. Nc4 Qc7 13. Bf4 Bf8 14. Qd2 Rd8 15. Bg5 Bg7 16. Qf4 Bxe2 17. Nxe2 Nh5 18. Qd2 Re8 19. Bf3 b5 20. axb5 Nd7 21. bxa6 Ne5 22. Nxe5 Rxe5 23. Bxh5 gxh5 24. Bf4 Re4 25. Nc3 Rd4 26. Qe2 h4 27. Nb5 Qb6 28. Nxd4 cxd4 29. Rfc1 hxg3 30. hxg3 d3 31. Qxd3 Bd4 32. Be3 Bxe3 33. Qxe3 Qxb2 34. Rcb1 Qf6 35. a7 Qg6 36. Rb8+ {Black resigns} 1-0

chessart(1810)-elihog(1949), 9/11/96, 2,10
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5 4. d5 exd5 5. cxd5 d6 6. Nf3 g6 7. g3 Bg7 8. Bg2 O-O 9. O-O Re8 10. Nd2 Nbd7 11. Nc4 Ne5 12. Nxe5 Rxe5 13. Bf4 Re8 14. Nb5 Bf8 15. Bg5 Bg7 16. Qd2 a6 17. Nc3 b5 18. Qf4 Bf5 19. g4 Bc8 20. Ne4 Rxe4 21. Bxe4 Bb7 22. f3 Qe7 23. Rad1 Re8 24. Rd2 h6 25. Bxh6 Nxe4 26. fxe4 Be5 27. Qf3 Bc8 28. e3 g5 29. Rdf2 f6 30. h4 gxh4 31. g5 fxg5 32. Qf7+ Qxf7 33. Rxf7 g4 34. Rc7 g3 35. Rff7 h3 36. Rce7 Rxe7 37. Rxe7 Bg4 38. Re8+ Kh7 39. Bf4 h2+ 40. Kg2 Bf3+ 41. Kxf3 h1=Q+ 42. Kxg3 Qxe4 43. Bxe5 Qxe3+ 44. Kg4 dxe5 45. Kf5 Qf4+ 46. Ke6 e4 47. d6 Qg4+ 48. Kd5 Qf5+ 49. Kc6 e3 50. d7 Qf3+ 51. Kc7 Qf4+ 52. Kc8 Qf5 53. Kc7 Qf7 54. Kc8 Qf5 55. Kc7 c4 56. d8=Q Qc5+
57. Kb7 b4 58. Qe7+ Qxe7+ 59. Rxe7+ Kg6 60. Rxe3 {Black resigns} 1-0