Benoni Gambit Accepted

The Benoni Gambit Accepted arises when White meets the Old Benoni, 1. d4 c5 (sometimes called the Blackburne Defense), with the capture 2. dxc5 instead of the space-gaining 2. d5. The name treats 1...c5 as a pawn offer, but the gain is usually only temporary. White's extra pawn sits on c5 in front of the c2-pawn, doubled and without natural support. Attempts to defend it tend to run into a queen check from a5 that hits c5 and gains a tempo, so White rarely keeps the material.

Once Black recovers the pawn, the structure resembles a reversed Open Sicilian. White has given up the d-pawn for the c-pawn, so Black has a central majority of d- and e-pawns against White's lone e-pawn. White in turn has the half-open d-file and quick development. The point of 2. dxc5 is mainly practical, steering away from Benoni structures, rather than a serious attempt at an opening edge.

The most common reply, chosen in about a third of games, is 2...e6. It opens the f8-bishop so that ...Bxc5 regains the pawn while developing a piece. 2...Qa5+ wins the pawn back at once, at the cost of committing the queen early. 2...Nc6 develops first and keeps the choice of setup open, and engines also rate 2...Nf6 among Black's best moves. All three lead to similar positions in which Black has regained the material.

Two less common replies have their own names. The Cormorant Gambit, 2...b6, attacks the c5-pawn with a pawn rather than a piece and invites further concessions; White scores clearly better against it. The Schlenker Defense, 2...Na6, sends the knight toward c5 to recapture there, and Black has done well with it in its modest number of games.

Engines judge the position after 2. dxc5 as level. The capture is common in online play, and on Lichess Black scores slightly better than White. White's usual reply to 1...c5 remains 2. d5, which gains space; 2. e4 is another alternative and transposes to the Morra Gambit.