Old Benoni Defence
MICOS Opening Group E01.OB – Old Benoni Defence begins with 1.d4 c5. Black immediately challenges White’s central ambitions with the c-pawn, creating an asymmetrical position from the first move. Rather than establishing a symmetrical pawn centre, Black seeks active counterplay and encourages White to make early decisions about the central pawn structure.
The Old Benoni Defence can produce strategically unbalanced positions where pawn breaks, space and piece activity play important roles. Black often allows White greater central space while seeking opportunities to undermine that centre and generate counterplay. Use the searchable table below to find openings by opening name, chess notation or MICOS code and train individual openings interactively with MICOS CAP.
Search by Opening Name, Chess Notation or MICOS Code. MICOS classifies each opening by its exact move order.
| Opening Name | Chess Notation | MICOS Code | MICOS CAP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old Benoni Defence | 1.d4 c5 | E01.001.OB | |
| Zilbermints Gambit: Benoni Gambit | 1.d4 c5 2.b4 | E01.002.OB | Explore ▶ |
| Zilbermints Gambit: Benoni Gambit: 2…cxb4 | 1.d4 c5 2.b4 cxb4 | E01.003.OB | Explore ▶ |
| Liedmann Gambit | 1.d4 c5 2.c4 cxd4 3.e3 | E01.004.OB | Explore ▶ |
| Old Benoni Defence: Advance Attack | 1.d4 c5 2.d5 | E01.005.OB | Explore ▶ |
| Old Benoni Defence: 2…d6 | 1.d4 c5 2.d5 d6 | E01.006.OB | Explore ▶ |
| Schmid Defence | 1.d4 c5 2.d5 d6 3.Nc3 g6 | E01.007.OB | Explore ▶ |
| Pawn Thrust | 1.d4 c5 2.d5 e5 | E01.008.OB | Explore ▶ |
| Russian Defence | 1.d4 c5 2.d5 e5 3.e4 d6 | E01.009.OB | Explore ▶ |
| Franco Sicilian Defence: Hybrid Defence | 1.d4 c5 2.d5 e6 3.c4 exd5 4.cxd5 d6 5.Nc3 g6 6.e4 Bg7 7.Nf3 Ne7 | E01.010.OB | Explore ▶ |
| Franco Sicilian Defence | 1.d4 c5 2.d5 e6 3.e4 | E01.011.OB | Explore ▶ |
| Mujannah Formation: Clarendon Court | 1.d4 c5 2.d5 f5 | E01.012.OB | Explore ▶ |
| Staunton Gambit | 1.d4 c5 2.d5 f5 3.e4 | E01.013.OB | Explore ▶ |
| Snail Defence | 1.d4 c5 2.d5 Na6 | E01.014.OB | Explore ▶ |
| Indian Defence | 1.d4 c5 2.d5 Nf6 | E01.015.OB | Explore ▶ |
| Woozle Defence | 1.d4 c5 2.d5 Nf6 3.Nc3 Qa5 | E01.016.OB | Explore ▶ |
| Indian Defence: Kingside Move Order | 1.d4 c5 2.d5 Nf6 3.Nf3 | E01.017.OB | Explore ▶ |
| Hawk Defence | 1.d4 c5 2.d5 Nf6 3.Nf3 c4 | E01.018.OB | Explore ▶ |
| Benoni Gambit Accepted | 1.d4 c5 2.dxc5 | E01.019.OB | Explore ▶ |
| Cormorant Gambit | 1.d4 c5 2.dxc5 b6 | E01.020.OB | Explore ▶ |
| Benoni Gambit: Schlenker Defence | 1.d4 c5 2.dxc5 Na6 | E01.021.OB | Explore ▶ |
| Zilbermints Gambit: Benoni Gambit: 3.b4 | 1.d4 c5 2.Nf3 cxd4 3.b4 | E01.022.OB | Explore ▶ |
| Zilbermints Gambit: Benoni Gambit - Tamarkin Counter-Gambit | 1.d4 c5 2.Nf3 cxd4 3.b4 e5 | E01.023.OB | Explore ▶ |
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