Hromádka System

The Hromádka System, 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 d6, postpones Black's decision about how to strike at White's pawn chain. Instead of committing at once to ...e6, ...b5 or ...e5, Black first secures the knight on f6. The pawn on d6 controls e5, so White cannot gain time with e4-e5, and Black can complete the kingside with ...g6, ...Bg7 and ...O-O. The move also opens d7 for the queen's knight, which might otherwise have to go to a6. The usual plan is an eventual ...e6 break, so the line frequently merges with Modern Benoni structures. Many games instead transpose to the King's Indian Defense. The move order 3...g6 tends to reach the same positions, because Black has to play ...d6 once White plays e4. The similarly named Czech Benoni, 3...e5, is sometimes called the Hromadka Benoni and should not be confused with this line.

White almost always answers 4. Nc3, while 4. Nf3 and 4. Bg5 are occasional alternatives. Engines give White a slight edge, but results on Lichess are close to even.