Theoria
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Benoni Defense

King's Pawn Line, with Nge2

A65positional

  1. 1.d4Nf6
  2. 2.c4c5
  3. 3.d5e6
  4. 4.Nc3exd5
  5. 5.cxd5d6
  6. 6.e4g6
  7. 7.f3Bg7
  8. 8.Nge2
103 games50%44%

A Sämisch-style line of the Modern Benoni in which White props e4 with f3 and develops the king's knight to e2, reaching a roughly balanced game.

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About the with Nge2

This branch of the Kapengut Variation (7. f3) completes White's setup with 8. Nge2, because the f3-pawn already occupies the knight's natural square. From e2 the knight can later go to g3 to reinforce e4, while the f3-e4 chain blunts Black's pressure along the e-file. Black nearly always castles with 8...O-O. The rarer 8...a6, preparing ...b5, has scored well in a small sample. Engines assess the position as roughly balanced.

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