Ben-Oni Powerbook 2020

In most games the Benoni comes about via a transposition of moves – Black waits until White has played Nf3 or g3 and only then plays the typical Benoni move ...c5. Presumably this is a well chosen method, since a look at the Powerbook shows a frightening score for Black in the variation with 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.f4! Bg7 8.Bb5+! Nfd7 9.a4 0-0 10.Nf3:

However, even here there is some hope for Black – namely 10...Na6 11.0-0 and then the modern positioning of the knight 11...Nb4. In the main variation 6.Nf3 g6 7.e4 Bg7 8.Be2 0-0 9.0-0 Re8 10.Nd2 Nbd7 Black can hold his own, though the statistics hardly promise full equality. A secret variation from White’s point of view (but not really so secret any more) is represented by the move 7.Bf4. The idea consists of at first doing without e4 and simply playing e3, for example 7...a6 (7...Bg7 8.Qa4+!?) 8.a4 Bg7 9.h3 0-0 10.e3

and here the statistics clearly favour White.