Starting from 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.Nf3 Bg7 8.Be2 0-0 9.0-0 Re8, players enter the Modern Benoni: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4... Re8 — ECO A76. With 62,511 games on record, the patterns below come from the largest practical sample available.
History and Notable Players
It arises from the Modern Benoni: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4... 9.0-0. Among the most prolific White practitioners are Jan Hein Donner (21 games), Svetozar Gligoric (19 games), Leif Ogaard (11 games). Black-side regulars include Dragoljub Velimirovic (15 games), Milan Matulovic (15 games), Dragoljub Janosevic (14 games).
Performance Across Rating Levels
How well the Modern Benoni: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4... Re8 works depends on what level you're playing at. The 1200 bracket has 387 games (0.00% of all games at that level); White wins 46.5%, Black 50.4%, 3.1% are drawn. Move up to 1800 Elo and the share shifts to 0.00%, with White winning 46.4% versus Black's 49.2%. Among 2500-rated players the line appears in 0.01% of games and draws spike to 8%, indicating tight preparation.
Move Diversity and Theory Depth
What players actually play after the opening moves depends heavily on rating. At 1200 Elo, the top reply is Bd3, played 34.5% of the time. There are 5 other moves seeing meaningful share, and 72.1% of games stick to established theory. Entropy: 2.75. By 2500, Nd2 dominates at 82.9% of replies; only 2 viable alternatives remain and 98.3% of moves are theory. Entropy drops to 0.84. That entropy collapse is the signature of a line where preparation pays off: at the top, players know the best move and play it.
Main Lines and Variations
After 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.Nf3 Bg7 8.Be2 0-0 9.0-0 Re8, the established follow-ups are:
Each branch leads to a different middlegame character — the resulting pawn structure decides what kind of game you get.
Common Mistakes
- Drifting away from main theory — At 400 Elo, theory adherence sits at 80% — versus 89.6% at 2000. The most popular deviation is Bd3 (played 30% of the time at 400, much less so up top). It looks fine but quietly hands the better-prepared side an edge.
- Neglecting development — It can feel productive to make extra pawn moves early, but falling behind in piece development is what loses most amateur games — especially in open positions where active pieces find squares fast.
- Letting White own the centre — Hypermodern openings concede central space on purpose, but only if you strike back in time. Delay the counter-blow and you end up squeezed.
Practice on Chessiverse
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