Benoni-Indian Defense, Kingside Move Order

With 3. Nf3, White develops the king's knight rather than committing the c-pawn. The same position also arises from 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 c5 3. d5. The early knight move sets this line apart from the Old Benoni, where White tends to avoid or delay Nf3 so that the f-pawn and an early e4 stay flexible. White's further plans follow from Black's setup. A later c4 transposes into standard Benoni positions. Leaving the pawn on c2 and playing Nc3 instead leads to the Spielmann-Indian Variation, which shares many Benoni patterns.

3...d6 is the most common reply, followed by 3...e6, which challenges d5 in the manner of the Modern Benoni. 3...b5, the Pseudo-Benko, grabs queenside space before White has played c4. It is one of the engine's preferred moves, along with 3...e6 and 3...d6. The rare 3...c4, the Hawk Variation, has scored poorly for Black. Engines give White a slight edge, but practical results are close to even.