Do you want to learn a simple yet aggressive chess opening for Black against 1.d4? Then you’ve got to learn the Benko Gambit. The position is usually reached from the Benoni Defense which arises after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5.

This opening is particularly easy for beginners to learn, as it involves the same setup, opening moves, and general middlegame plan across different variations. However, this opening is usually played by players at higher levels. This means you could learn this opening early in you chess journey and still play it even when when you reach higher ratings

In this lesson, you’ll learn the plans and ideas behind the moves of the Benko Gambit. You’ll also discover how a 16-year-old Magnus Carlsen employed the Benko Gambit to defeat a 2500-rated opponent.

Benko Gambit Video Lesson

Watch the full video lesson to learn how to play this opening even against stronger players.

Below, you can find the Magnus Carlsen game shown in the video:

Discover more openings with our Chess Openings Lesson Guide to find lessons organized by opening strategies. Improve your play from the first moves with a clear, topic-based approach.

This opening is a great tool in your arsenal as it’s aggressive and full of traps which can win you quick and easy victories. However, there’s more to chess improvement than just learning different openings.

If you want to learn all the fundamental things about chess then you need to check out Level Up Your Chess. This course has six sections covering, not just the opening, middlegame and endgame. It also covers how to avoid blunders and how to study and train effectively.

And my big promise in this course is that studying just one section is enough to boost your chess rating. so, go ahead and check it out.