Adrian Mikhalchishin:

Benoni - typical attacks

The most important moment of the game is
a point,where both players starts to create
own plans after the openings.Every opening
has each own typical patterns and attacking
ways.One of the most aggressive openings is
Benoni.I was a big fan of Benoni in my
young days,which was based on beautifull
wins of Tal and Fischer.One fantastic Tals
idea I was able to use in my practice.
Turjan A. : Mikhalchishin A.
Lviv 1969
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.Nc3 c5 5.d5
d6 6.e4 e6 7.Be2 ed5 8.cd5 00 9.00 Re8
10.Qc2 Na6 11.Nd2 Rb8 12.Re1

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12...Ng4!
This is not only attacking move, preparing
the way for Queen to h4, but very smart
positional move, intending to exchange
Knights on e5, after the best White's plan
Nd2c4.
13.h3?
This automatic move allows Black to launch
terrific attack on exposed White King.
13...Nf2! 14.Nf3
I was preparing next variation to White's
best defence: 14.Ba6 Nh3 15.gh3 Qg5
16.Kh1 Qg3! 17.Re2 ba6 18.Rg2 Qh4
FIDE Surveys Adrian Mikhalchishin

19.Rh2 Qe1 20.Kg2 Be5. Main line was, of

course, the acceptance of sacrifice: 14.Kf2
Qh4 15.Kf1 Bd4 16.Nd1 Qh3 17.Bf3 Qh1
18.Ke2 Qh4.
14...Nb4 15.Qb1

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15...Bd4!
Adding new fuel to the fire!
16.Kh2
Another retreat 16.Kf1 would be met with
beautiful Knight move to the corner
16...Nh1!
16...f5!
Everything as teached me game of great
Misha!
17.a3

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Slightly better, but unsufficient would be
17.Bb5 Rf8 18.Bh6 a6 19.a3 ab5 20.ab4 fe4
21.Nd4 cd4 22.Ne4 Bf5 23.Bf8 Qf8.
17...fe4! 18.Nd4 cd4 19.Ne4
Hopeless would be 19.ab4 e3 20.Bf1 Qh4.
19...Re4 20.ab4 d3 0:1.
1

Gurgenidze B. : Tal M.
Moscow 1957
It is the game, which was inspiration to my
achievment.
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 ed5 5.cd5
d6 6.Nf3 g6 7.e4 Bg7 8.Be2 00 9.00 Re8
10.Nd2 Na6 11.Re1 Nc7 12.a4 b6 13.Qc2
Ng4 14.h3?

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Clearly better was developing 14.Nc4.
14...Nf2!! 15.Kf2 Qh4 16.Kf1
Even worse was 16.g3 Bd4 17.Kf3 Qh5.
16...Bd4 17.Nd1 Qh3! 18.Bf3 Qh2

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19.Ne3
Did not help 19.Nf2 Nd5!! 20.ed5 Re1
21.Ke1 Qg1 22.Nf1 Ba6.
19...f5!
Typical move in such situation, with the idea
to open f file and to increase pressure on e4
pawn.
20.Ndc4 fe4 21.Be4 Ba6 22.Bf3 Re5
23.Ra3
FIDE Surveys Adrian Mikhalchishin

Evacuation of White King leads to material

losses. 23.Ke2 Rae8 24.Ra3 Qf4 25.Kd1 Bc4
26.Qc4 Be3.
23...Rae8 24.Bd2

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Did not help 24.Rd3 Nd5 25.Rd4 cd4
26.Bd5 Rd5 27.Qd3 Qh1 28.Ke2 Qg2
29.Kd1 de3.
24...Nd5! 25.Bd5
Terrific attack was continued after 25.Qc1
Ne3 26.Be3 Re3 27.Ree3 Qh1 28.Ke2 Qc1.
25...Rd5 26.Ke2 Be3 27.Re3 Bc4 0:1.
Romanchenko V. : Agapov K.
Leningrad 1981
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 ed5 5.cd5
d6 6.Nf3 g6 7.Nd2 Nbd7 8.e4 Bg7 9.Be2 0
0 10.00 Re8 11.Re1 Nb6 12.a4 Bd7
13.Qc2 Ng4 14.a5 Nc8 15.h3

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15...Nf2!
The same typical sacrifice!
16.Kf2
2

Better was not to defend, but to try to get

some compensation and to sacrifice two
pawns. 16.Nf3 Bc3 17.bc3 Ne4 18.Bd3 Ng3
19.Re8 Qe8 20.c4.
16...Bd4 17.Kf1 Qh4 18.Nd1

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18...Bh3
More dangerous for White was 18...Qh3!
19.Bf3 Qh2 20.Nc4 f5 21.Nf2 Ne7 and
Black pieces will slowly come closer to
White King.
19.Ra3
Possible was 19.Ra4, trying to eliminate
terrible Bishop on d4.
19...Bg4?
Very serious option would be 19...Bf5
20.Bf3 b5.
20.Ne3?
Returning favour, but White had very
serious option here: 20.Bg4 Qh1 21.Ke2
Qg2 22.Nf2 f5 23.Bf3 Qf2 24.Kd1 Ne7
25.Nc4 with winning chances.
20...Qh1 21.Kf2 Qh4 .
Evdokimov A. : Volokitin A.
Moscow 2008
Modern young players profit from legacy of
great players too.
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 c5 4.d5 d6 5.Nc3
ed5 6.cd5 g6 7.Nd2 Bg7 8.e4 00 9.Be2
Re8 10.00 Nbd7 11.a4 Ne5 12.Qc2 Bg4
13.f3 Bd7 14.f4 Neg4

FIDE Surveys Adrian Mikhalchishin

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15.Nc4?
Correct was to return Knight back to protect
own King: 15.Nf3 c4 16.Bc4 Qb6 17.Kh1
Rac8 18.Bd3 Nh5, with unclear play.
15...Ne4!! 16.Ne4 Bd4 17.Kh1

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After better option 17.Nf2 Qh4 18.Bg4 Bg4
19.g3 Qh5 20.Be3 Re3 21.Ne3 Be3 22.Rae1
Bd4 Black has very good compensation for
exchange.
17...Nh2!! 18.Ng5
18.g3 Nf1 19.Bf1 Bf5 20.Bd3 Be4 21.Be4 f5
22.Bf3 Re1 23.Kg2 Rg1 24.Kh2 Qf8! attack
is very dangerous.
18...Nf1 19.Bf1 Re1 20.Nd2
After 20.Qd3 Bf5 21.Qf3 h6 22.Nh3 Be4
white Queen has no place.
20...Qf8 21.Ra3 Qh6 22.Rh3
Does not help 22.Nh3 Bh3 23.Rh3 Qf4.
22...Bh3 23.Nh3 Qh5 24.Kh2 Qd1
0:1.

Gheorghiu F. : Li
Luzern 1982
There are few other kinds of typical Benoni
attacks.
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 ed5 5.cd5
d6 6.Nf3 g6 7.Nd2 Nbd7 8.e4 Bg7 9.Be2 0
0 10.00 Re8 11.a4 Ne5 12.Re1 a6 13.f4?!
Correct was to protect own King flank
13.Nf1!? Rb8 14.f4 Neg4 15.h3 Nh6 16.Bf3
Nd7 17.g4.
13...Neg4 14.Bf3 h5! 15.Nc4

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15...Ne4!
This sacrifice opens the way for Bishop g7.
16.Re4
Much worse was 16.Ne4 Bd4 17.Be3
(17.Kh1 Re4; 17.Ne3 Bf5) 17...Ne3 18.Ne3
Bf5.
16...Bd4 17.Rd4
This Bishop must be destroyed!
17...cd4 18.Ne4 Qh4 19.Ncd6
Another option was not better 19.h3 Bf5
20.Ncd6 Be4 21.Ne4 Re4 22.Be4 Re8+.
19...Qh2 20.Kf1 Bf5! 21.Nf5
Very bad was 21.Nf2? Nf2 22.Kf2 Qh4
23.Kf1 Bd3 24.Qd3 Re1#.
21...gf5?
Now winning immediately was 21...Re4!
22.Nh6 Nh6 23.Be4 Re8 24.Bf3 Ng4 25.Bg4
hg4+.
22.Nf2! d3?
Another mistake in sharp position.Correct
was: 22...Nf2 23.Kf2 Qh4 24.Kf1 (24.g3
Qh2 25.Bg2 h4 26.gh4 Qh4 27.Kf1 d3 and
FIDE Surveys Adrian Mikhalchishin

Be2+) 24...Qh1=.
23.Qd3 h4

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24.Qf5??
Experienced Romanian IGM was close to
winning this game here! 24.Bd2+.
24...Qg1!! 25.Kg1 Re1# 0:1.
Danielian E. : Cmilyte V.
Tbilisi 2011
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 c5 4.d5 ed5 5.cd5 g6
6.g3 d6 7.Bg2 Bg7 8.00 00 9.Nc3 Re8
10.Nd2 a6 11.a4 Nbd7 12.Nc4 Ne5

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13.Na3
I don't like this smart plan: to avoid
exchanges, White places her knight on the
edge.I remembered my old game here with
the first great Uzbek grandmaster: 13.Ne5
Re5 14.h3 Re8 15.Bf4 Rb8 16.a5 b5 17.ab6
Rb6 18.Qc2 Qc7 19.Rfc1 Qb8 20.Ra2 Nd7
21.g4 Ne5 22.e3 h6 23.Bf1 Re7 24.Be2 f5
25.g5 hg5 26.Bg5 Reb7 27.Na4 Rb4 28.f4
4

Nf7! 29.Ba6 Ng5 30.fg5 Ra7 31.Bc8 Qc8

32.Nb6 Qb7 33.Ra7 Qa7 34.Nc4 Qe7
35.Kh1 Qg5 36.Qf2 f4 37.Qf3 fe3 38.Rg1
Qh6 39.Ne3 Rb2 40.Ng4 Qh4 41.Qe3 Kh7
42.Ra1 Rb4 43.Rg1 c4, 0:1, Agzamov :
Mikhalchishin, Moscow 1972.
13...Nh5!
A correct attacking move - quiet
development is not possible here.
14.h3 f5 15.Bd2
Other moves have been tried here, but
without real success.
15.Kh2 g5 (15...Bd7 16.f4 Nf7 17.Nc4 b5
18.ab5 ab5 19.Ra8 Qa8 20.Nb6 Qb7 21.Nd7
Qd7 22.e4 b4 23.Ne2 Nf6 24.ef5 gf5 25.Qd3
Nh6 26.b3 Qf7 27.Bf3 Qg6 28.Rf2 Ne4
29.Rg2 Nf6 30.Kh1 Nhg4 31.Ng1 Nh6
32.Kh2 Nhg4 33.Kh1 Nh6 34.Kh2 Nhg4, ,
Anastasian A. : Evdokimov A., Moscow
2007; 15...f4!? 16.gf4 Qh4 17.fe5 Be5 18.f4
Qg3 19.Kh1 Bh3! 20.Rg1 Nf4) 16.e4 g4
17.f4 gf3 18.Bf3 Nf6 19.Bg2 Ne4 20.Ne2
b5, 0:1, Raetsky A. : Arun Prasad S., Abu
Dhabi 2010;
15.e4 b5! 16.Ne2 (16.ab5 ab5 17.Ncb5 Ba6)
16...fe4 17.Be4 Bh3 18.Bg2 Bg4 19.f3 Bd7
20.g4 Ng4+, 0:1, Stecko O : Bangiev A.,
USSR 1971;
15.f4?! Nf7 (15...Ng3 looks to be very
strong: 16.fe5 Nf1 17.Qf1 b5!) 16.Kh2 Nf6
17.Nc4 Bd7 18.a5 Qc7 19.Ra2 Re7 20.b3
Rae8 21.Bb2 Bb5 22.Qa1 Bc4 23.bc4 Re3
24.Rf3 Nh5 25.Re3 Re3 26.Bf3 Qe7 27.Qc1
Bd4 28.Ba1 Ng5 29.fg5 Qe5 30.Kh1 Ng3
31.Kg2 Nh5 32.Kf1 Qg3 33.Nd1 Rc3, 0:1,
Bernasek J. : Philippe C., Brno 2008.
15...Bd7 16.Rb1
Or 16.Qc2 Rf8 with the idea f5f4.
16...c4!?
Also possible is aggressive development
with 16...g5 17.e4 g4 18.Nc2? (18.hg4 fg4
19.Be3 Qa5 did not achieve much) 18...fe4
19.Be4 Rf8 20.Kh1 Qe8 21.Ne3 Nf6 22.Bc2
Nf3 23.h4 Qe5, 0:1, Delemarre J. :
Stellwagen D., Leeuwarden 2003.
Allowing White to follow her own plan is a
bit too slow: 16...Rb8 17.b4 Qc7 18.b5.
FIDE Surveys Adrian Mikhalchishin

17.Kh2
17.a5 was better: 17...b5 (17...Qa5 - this
risky business is not recommended: 18.Ncb5
Qb6 19.Be3) 18.ab6 Qb6 19.Nc2 Nf7
20.Be3 Re3 21.Ne3 Ng3, but here Black has
a very serious dynamic compensation for the
exchange.
17...Rb8 18.Nc2

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It was still preferable to fix Black's pawns on
the queenside: 18.a5.
18...f4!? 19.Bf4
Nor was it much better trying 19.gf4 Qh4
20.fe5 Be5 21.f4 Qg3 22.Kh1 Bh3 23.Ne1
Bg2 24.Ng2 Qh3 25.Kg1 Bc3 26.Rf3 Ng3
27.Rg3 Bd4 28.e3 Qg3 29.ed4 Re4.
19...Nf4 20.gf4 Qh4

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21.fe5?
Black kept a dangerous initiative after
21.Qd2 Bh6 22.e3 Nf3 23.Bf3 Qh3 24.Kg1
Qf3.
21...Qf4 22.Kg1 Be5 0:1.
5