Page 3 700 Opening Traps

Benoni Defense (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6)

The Benoni Defense is characterized by Black playing c5 in a Queen’s Pawn 

opening.  Ben-Oni is Hebrew for “child of my sorrow” and the opening name 

was coined by Aaron Reinganum in 1825 who analyzed this defense when he 

was depressed.

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.Nf3 g6 7.Bf4 b6 8.e4 Bg7? 

[8…a6 to prevent White’s next move] 9.Bb5+ Bd7 10.Bxd6 Bxb5 11.Nxb5 

Nxe4 12.Nc7+ Kd7 13.Bf4 g5 14.Nxg5 wins the Rook (Lev - Karp, Tel Aviv 

1990)

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 Bd6 6.e4 Bc7 7.d6 Ba5 8.e5 

Ne4 9.Qg4 Nxc3 10.Qxg7 Ne4+ 11.Ke2 win the Rook since 11…Rf8 fails 

to 12.Bh6 (Van Gisbergen - Lupu, Cappelle 1994)

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 Bd6 6.e4 g6 7.Nf3 Bg4 8.Be2 

Qe7 9.O-O Nxe4?? [9…Bg7] 10.Qa4+ Nd7 11.Qxe4 wins the Knight (Wall 

- Campelli, Dayton 1984)

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 Bd6 6.g3 Bc7 7.d6 Ba5 8.Bg2 

O-O 9.Nh3 Nc6 10.O-O Re8 11.Nd5 Re6 12.Nd5 Re6 13.f4 Re8 14.Qd3 

g6 15.f5 c4 16.Qxc4 Ne5 17.Qh4 Nh5 18.g4 traps the Knight (Knaak - 

Hector, Kecskemet 1987)

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