abcdefgh

Final position — Black is winning

Benko Gambit

Benko Gambit: Wins a Pawn (Dobosz–Massing)

Black wins in 14 moves with a decisive material gain. (Dobosz - Massing, Goch 1991)

The moves

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.Nd2 Qa5 5.e4 Nxe4 6.b4 Qxb4 7.Rb1 Qc3 8.Rxb5 Qd4 9.Nxe4 Qxe4+ 10.Be3 g6 11.Nf3 Bg7 12.Bd3 Qg4 13.h3 Qxg2 14.Rh2
1.d4Nf6
2.c4c5
3.d5b5
4.Nd2Qa5
5.e4Nxe4
6.b4Qxb4
7.Rb1Qc3
8.Rxb5Qd4
9.Nxe4Qxe4+
10.Be3g6
11.Nf3Bg7
12.Bd3Qg4
13.h3Qxg2
14.Rh2

How the Benko Gambit: Wins a Pawn (Dobosz–Massing) works

The Benko Gambit: Wins a Pawn (Dobosz–Massing) is a classic chess opening trap arising from the Benko Gambit. In this line Black wins decisive material by move 14, punishing a natural-looking but losing idea from White.

The full sequence runs 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.Nd2 Qa5 5.e4 Nxe4 6.b4 Qxb4 7.Rb1 Qc3 8.Rxb5 Qd4 9.Nxe4 Qxe4+ 10.Be3 g6 11.Nf3 Bg7 12.Bd3 Qg4 13.h3 Qxg2 14.Rh2. Each move looks reasonable, which is exactly why the trap is so effective over the board — White walks into it while trying to play "normal" developing moves.

This pattern is well known from master and correspondence play (Dobosz - Massing, Goch 1991). Recognising it early lets you either spring it as Black or sidestep it as White.

Practice this trap move-by-move

Open the Benko Gambit: Wins a Pawn (Dobosz–Massing) in the Trapsterapp to play it out on a live board, drill it in practice mode, and learn how to avoid it when it's set for you — along with the full library of chess traps and gambits, fully offline.

More Benko Gambit traps

← Browse all chess traps