Benko Gambit
The a6-b5 pawn sacrifice. Pressure on a and b files.
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1. d4 › Benko Gambit
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Sequence
1.d4Nf62.c4c53.d5b54.cxb5a65.bxa6g66.Nc3Bxa67.e4Bxf18.Kxf1d69.g3
About this opening
The Benko Gambit (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5) is one of the most respected pawn sacrifices: by giving up the b5 pawn, Black opens the a- and b-files and exerts lasting positional pressure along them, supported by the g7 fianchetto. Rare among gambits, the compensation is strategic rather than tactical: it persists into the endgame, where Black's activity fully offsets the missing pawn.