Fianchetto Variation
- 1.d4Nf6
- 2.c4c5
- 3.d5b5
- 4.cxb5a6
- 5.bxa6Bxa6
- 6.Nc3d6
- 7.Nf3g6
- 8.g3
499 games
Benko Gambit line where White fianchettoes the king's bishop to keep castling rights, accepting a g2-bishop that is blunted by its own pawn on d5.
Train it in TheoriaAbout the Fianchetto Variation
In the Fianchetto Variation White answers the accepted Benko with 6. Nc3 d6 7. Nf3 g6 8. g3, sidestepping the forced king walk of the 7. e4 Bxf1 lines and keeping the right to castle. The price is a passive g2-bishop, hemmed in by the pawn on d5. Black almost always continues 8...Bg7, completing the fianchetto and building pressure on the a- and b-files. Black scores well in online games, though engines give White a slight edge.