The Bottom Line
(May 2006) 'The Modern Benoni Revealed' by IM Richard Palliser; Batsford/Sterling; August 2005; 208 pages. • 'A dynamic, counter-attacking opening that often leads to highly tactical positions. Tal enjoyed confusing his opponents with its intricacies. World champion Kramnik essayed the Benoni against Leko where he needed to win. The Benoni has always been popular with club players.' [from the back cover] • Contains 53 games, well annotated using figurine algebraic notation.
Pros
- Well written and informative; another work by Palliser ('Play 1.d4!') received good critical reviews
- The author knows this opening and gets to the point; the (many) dangers for Black are not ignored
- Uses Batsford 'Revealed' format: First Moves, Heroes and Zeros, Strategy, What's Hot?, etc.
- Chapter on 'Theoretical Overview' introduces lines that every Benoni player should know
- Good discussions of the pros and cons behind various move orders.
Cons
- Not an exhaustive coverage of known theory; experienced Benoni players won't learn much
- The discussion of the Taimanov Attack only convinces that Black should avoid it
- Lacks an index of players
- The book is smaller (~14 x 21.5 cm) than the others we have (~15.5 x 23) in the 'Revealed' series
- There seems to be more white space than in other opening books we have seen
Description
- Preface: 'The Modern Benoni is an exciting and fighting defence to 1.d4'
- First Moves (11 pages): An example 15-move variation with each move explained
- Heroes and Zeros (28 pages covering 6 games of historical interest), 'First Moves' game is continued
- Strategy (50 pages covering 17 games): Typical ideas for both players with sample games
- What's Hot? (64 pages covering 17 games): Taimanov Attack, Modern Main Line (MML), and Bf4 Systems
- Theoretical Overview (18 pages covering 4+ games): Move orders, variations that need to be prepared
- Tricks and Traps (18 pages covering positions from 10 games): Tactical errors, ambitious play, etc.
- Test Positions and Solutions (7 puzzles): 'test your tactical skills'
- Before the Fight (2 pages): 'Where now?' and Bibliography; thoughts on further preparation
- Index of variations; split into lines with and without Nf3
Guide Review - The Modern Benoni Revealed
The chapter 'First Moves' starts with 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.Nf3 g6, a sequence covered by more than half of the games in the book. In fact, more games here begin with 2...e6 than with 2...c5, but they usually transpose to the main Benoni lines. Other third moves (3.Nf3, 3...b5, 3...e5) for both players are not covered. 'At times play becomes incredibly sharp; superior understanding allows Black's plan to triumph, whereas White's is halted.' • The book is written for the Black side. A little more than half of the games are wins for Black. The Batsford 'Revealed' format steps the reader through stem games, key positional concepts, current theory, and typical tactics. • The most recent games were played in 2004. About 1/3 of the games were played since 2000. Slightly more were played before 1990. Six games were played by the author, including one as White. Other games were played by top players like Fischer (Black), Kasparov (both sides), Tal (seven games as Black), and Topalov (six games as Black). • Recommended for intermediate players who want to learn how to study an opening -or- for good players who need to get up to speed quickly in the Modern Benoni.
