Empire Chess Vol. 9: Battling the Benko: The Fianchetto Variation - GM Lemos

The Benko gambit is one of the sharpest answers Black can employ against 1.d4, sacrificing a pawn very early in the opening to obtain a temporary initiative in the center and permanent pressure on the queenside. And that is exactly why any respectable 1. d4 player should have a solid system prepared against this wild gambit! In this chess DVD GM Damien Lemos dissects his preferred Fianchetto Variation for white against the Benko Gambit, explaining the subtle tactical nuances and positional intricacies that have granted him numerous impressive victories at the Grandmaster level. GM Lemos goes far and beyond the average chess DVD presentation, not focusing on specific move orders but rather making sure that his viewers understand the main ideas behind the moves in the Fianchetto Variation. Viewers are guaranteed to walk away from this DVD with not only a greater understanding of how to beat the Benko Gambit, but a greater understanding of positional chess in general. As a 2550+ FIDE GM, Damien Lemos bases his high-level play around superior strategic play and deep maneuvers, and in this chess DVD GM Lemos imparts his positional wisdom with exceptional clarity. Battling the Benko: The Fianchetto Variation examines all of the main lines and sidelines, with optimal plans for white provided in every variation. If you play 1. d4 and consistently struggle against the Benko Gambit, this chess DVD will teach you a complete system to improve your results with white.

Chess DVD OUTLINE

Chapter 1 Introduction
Chapter 2 Epishin vs Schuurman: Popular Ra7 and Qa8 maneuvers
Chapter 3 Peralta vs Mellado: When black breaks the center with Qd7 and e6
Chapter 4 Van Wely vs Carlsen: Sidelines with an early Qa5
Chapter 5 Kasimdzhanov vs Ghaem: Common middlegame maneuver Ne8-c7
Chapter 6 Harikrishna vs Tregubov: Black wins back the pawn but trades the Bg7

Specifications

• Author: GM Damien Lemos
• Runtime: 2 Hours 20 Minutes
• Level: Intermediate
• Type: Opening (Benko Gambit)