There’s still some time left to review one’s openings before the beginning of the new season in October.

Those in need of a new defence against 1.d4 might consider basing their studies on one of Everyman Chess’ three new publications.

Two of the three new books — John Cox’s Declining the Queen’s Gambit and Cryus Lakdawala’s The Slav, Move by Move — advocate sound, solid defences. The former is more theoretical and aimed rather higher — the latter is unashamedly for the club player — but both are excellent primers and can be recommended if these openings suit your style. For most players though, I imagine it’s the last of the three, Nicolai Pedersen’s Play the Benko, that will appeal. The Benko is a counterattacking defence that demands a commitment to a full blooded battle — something the first player can easily avoid when facing the Slav or QGD. The following 1977 game is a dynamic contest with material imbalance — in short a typical Benko.

White: Vlastimil Hort Black: Lev Alburt 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.bxa6 White accepts the gambit — but 5.e3, 5.f3 or 5.b6 are all decent ways to decline the offer. 5...g6 6.Nc3 Bxa6 7.Nf3 d6 8.g3 Bg7 9.Bg2 Nbd7 Pedersen doesn’t like this move order for Black and indeed, after 10.Rb1, databases show White scoring an impressive 64%. The idea of 10.Rb1 is to play b3 denying Black the use of c4 and then completing a blockade of the queenside with moves like a4, Qc2 and Bb2. I recall watching from an adjacent board as Grandmaster Stephen Gordon played just this move against Oxford’s Ben Savage in last season’s 4NCL competition. That game continued: 10.Rb1 Nb6 11.b3 Bb7 12.Nh4 0–0 13.0–0 Ne8 14.Bb2 Bxc3 15.Bxc3 Rxa2 16.b4 when Ben had recovered his pawn, but White’s strong centre gave Gordon the easier game and he went on to win.

10.0-0 At the time of this game, the most common move.

10…Nb6 11.Re1 0–0 12.Nd2 Qc7 13.Rb1 Qb7!? 14.b3 Hort doesn’t believe Alburt will be brave enough — or foolhardy enough — to capture on d5, so he doesn’t defend the pawn.

14...Nfxd5! Alburt grabs the pawn after all — but how will he escape the pin?

15.Nxd5 Nxd5 16.Nf1 Nc3!! 17.Bxb7 Bxb7! Alburt has planned this positional sacrifice of the queen relying on the solid Benko pawn structure to keep out the White queen.

18.Qd3 Be4 19.Qe3 Bd4 20.Qh6 Bxb1 21.a3 Ba2 22.Nd2 Rfb8 Now all of Black’s remaining pieces are active and White is tied down with no time for ideas like Nd3-f3-g5.

23.b4 cxb4 24.axb4 Rxb4 25.Nf3 Bg7 26.Qh3 Be6 27.Qf1 Bc4 28.Kg2 Ra1 29.Ng1 Rbb1 What a picture. Hort was one of the best players in the world at the time; but his queen has absolutely no moves and all he can do is to shuffle with his king and await the end. 30.Kh3 h5 31.f4 Be6+ 32.Kg2 Nd5 33.Kf3 Bc3 34.Rd1 Bb2 0–1