Today, I’ll teach you a simple, easy-to-learn, and powerful chess opening for Black against the Queen’s Pawn move 1.d4. You can dismantle it by playing 1…c5, known as the Old Benoni Defense.

The main advantage of this opening is its simplicity—you don’t need to study a lot of complex opening theory.

This defense also neutralizes several of White’s popular opening choices, including the London System, the Jobava London, the Catalan, the Trompowsky, and more. Even if White tries to play the London System with 2.Bf4, it struggles against this opening.

Watch the full video lesson to learn how to play the Old Benoni Defense correctly and effectively counter White’s various strategies.

Old Benoni Defense Video Lesson

Below, you can find the variations 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.

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