- The moves1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5
- Chosen byBlack
- ECOA57–A59
- Also calledVolga Gambit
The Benko Gambit comes after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5. Black sacrifices a pawn to open the a- and b-files. After the main line 4.cxb5 a6 5.bxa6 Bxa6 Black has quick development, a bishop that will soon stand on the long diagonal, and open files for the rooks and the queen. And, unusually for a gambit, Black isn't afraid of trading queens, because the pressure on the queenside remains in the endgame.
The idea is old. Karel Opočenský sacrificed the pawn this way in the 1930s, among others against Gideon Ståhlberg at Poděbrady in 1936. The name Volga Gambit comes from an article on 3…b5 written in Kuibyshev on the Volga and printed in a Soviet chess magazine in 1946. In the late 1960s the Hungarian-American grandmaster Pal Benko took the opening up, and in 1974 his book on it appeared. His name stuck, especially in English-speaking countries.
The idea was played early in Sweden too. When Erik Lundin beat László Szabó in the last round of the 1948 Interzonal at Saltsjöbaden, the Swedish magazine Tidskrift för Schack called the opening Swedish-Czech. Later the magazine called it the Volga Gambit. Benko himself was the gambit's leading practitioner, but it has also been played by world champions such as Mikhail Tal, Garry Kasparov, Viswanathan Anand and Magnus Carlsen.
The main line, move by move
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5 4. cxb5 a6 5. bxa6 Bxa6 6. Nc3 d6 7. e4 Bxf1 8. Kxf1 g6 9. g3 Bg7 10. Kg2 O-O 11. Nf3
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- 11.…
The ideas
White wants to
- Keep the pawn and get the pieces out, even though the king's bishop is hard to develop.
- Solve the problem of the king: either castle by hand with g3 and Kg2, or fianchetto the bishop.
- Look for play in the center and on the kingside, where Black has fewer pieces.
Black wants to
- Press along the a- and b-files with the rooks and the queen.
- Use the bishop on g7 against White's queenside.
- Don't fear the endgame: the pressure remains when the queens are gone, and Black's king can head for the center.
Important variations
The Fianchetto Variation: 7.Nf3 and g3
White does without e4 and fianchettoes the king's bishop instead. Then White can castle normally, but the bishop on g2 stands passively, blocked by White's own pawn on d5. The position is calmer than in the main line.
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5 4. cxb5 a6 5. bxa6 Bxa6 6. Nc3 d6 7. Nf3 g6 8. g3 Bg7 9. Bg2 O-O 10. O-O Nbd7
White declines the second pawn: 5.f3
Instead of taking the second pawn, White prepares e4 at once. The line has been gaining in popularity. Black takes the pawn on b5 back but has to watch White build a big center. One way to reply is the check 6…Qa5+.
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5 4. cxb5 a6 5. f3 axb5 6. e4 Qa5+ 7. Bd2
How it goes in real games
How the games ended once the position had come up on the board, in blitz, rapid and classical games. White wins, draws and Black wins, as a percentage of the games.
| Position | Level | Games | White wins | Draw | Black wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benko Gambit 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5 | Club players | 4,226,732 | 44% | 6% | 50% |
| Strong players | 2,455,817 | 45% | 6% | 48% | |
| Benko Gambit, main line, up to 8.Kxf1 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5 4. cxb5 a6 5. bxa6 Bxa6 6. Nc3 d6 7. e4 Bxf1 8. Kxf1 | Club players | 179,809 | 45% | 7% | 48% |
| Strong players | 133,463 | 46% | 8% | 47% |
The most common continuations after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5
Club players, share of the games in the position.
- 4.cxb5 58% (2,455,868 games)
- 4.b3 15% (634,752 games)
- 4.e3 7% (307,669 games)
- 4.Nc3 6% (262,751 games)
- 4.Qc2 4% (169,876 games)
Source: games on Lichess, fetched November 6–7, 2026. Club players means games where the players average 1600 or more, strong players games where they average 2000 or more. The strong players' games are counted among the club players' too. Each position is counted however it was reached, and a line that goes further than we have numbers for is shown up to its last position with numbers.
Explore the position on the analysis board: the moves club players choose from here, how the games tend to end, and what Lavi thinks of each move.
Is this opening for you?
The Benko Gambit suits Black players who like long-term pressure more than quick attacks. The plans repeat from game to game: the rooks on the a- and b-files, the bishop on g7, the king that likes to head for the middle in the endgame. It is popular among club players, where it is considered to give good practical chances of playing for a win.
With White, it is good to have a plan against it. If you don't want to defend an extra pawn for forty moves, decline with 4.Nf3 or play 5.f3.
A famous game
Erik Lundin played the opening when, in last place, he beat László Szabó, one of the two leaders, in the final round of the 1948 Interzonal at Saltsjöbaden. First against last
Practice the main line
Choose a color and one of the house players. Your opponent follows the main line, and you try to find your moves. If you play something else, you'll see the main line's move, but the game goes on. When the main line ends, you play freely.
Rather play freely? Choose an opponent · Play right away
The main line with all the comments as text
1. d4 White takes space in the center with the queen's pawn. 1… Nf6 Black stops e4. 2. c4 More pressure on the center. 2… c5 Black strikes at d4 from the side. 3. d5 White pushes past and gains space. 3… b5 This is the Benko Gambit. Black offers a pawn to open the queenside. 4. cxb5 White takes the pawn. It is the most common reply. 4… a6 Black wants to open the a-file as well. 5. bxa6 White takes that pawn too. 5… Bxa6 The bishop recaptures and stands actively on a6, where it watches f1. 6. Nc3 The knight develops and supports e4. 6… d6 Black supports c5 and makes way for the knight on b8. 7. e4 White takes space in the center, but now Black can trade off White's bishop. 7… Bxf1 Black trades the bishops. White can only recapture with the king. 8. Kxf1 The king recaptures and can no longer castle. 8… g6 Black prepares …Bg7. 9. g3 White makes room for the king on g2. This is called castling by hand. 9… Bg7 The bishop on the long diagonal presses against White's queenside. 10. Kg2 The king is safe. 10… O-O 11. Nf3 White is a pawn up. Black has open a- and b-files and a strong bishop on g7. White is slightly better, but Black's pressure lasts and is unpleasant to face.
More openings
Modern Benoni
Imbalance from move three: White gets the center, Black the queenside. Tal's and Fischer's weapon.
King's Indian Defense
Let White take the center, strike back with e5 and storm the kingside.
Evans Gambit
White sacrifices the b-pawn for tempo and the center. Romantic chess from the 1800s.
Grünfeld Defense
Black lets White build a center and then goes after it. Hypermodern and sharp.
Every move on this page has been checked against the rules of chess.
Updated November 6, 2026
3… b5
This is the Benko Gambit. Black offers a pawn to open the queenside.