See buying choices for this item to see if it's one of the millions that are eligible for Amazon Prime.

27 used & new from $5.60

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
 
The Benko Gambit Revealed
 
See larger image
 
Tell the Publisher!
I’d like to read this book on Kindle

Don’t have a Kindle? Get yours here.
 
  

The Benko Gambit Revealed (Paperback)

by Neil McDonald (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)


Available from these sellers.


12 new from $8.44 15 used from $5.60

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

The Benko Gambit

The Benko Gambit

by Jan Pinski
5.0 out of 5 stars (1)  $22.45
Practical Chess Exercises: 600 Lessons from Tactics to Strategy

Practical Chess Exercises: 600 Lessons from Tactics to Strategy

by Ray Cheng
4.4 out of 5 stars (39)  $14.00
The Gambit Guide to the Benko Gambit

The Gambit Guide to the Benko Gambit

by Steffen Pedersen
4.5 out of 5 stars (2)  $17.56
Play the Semi-slav

Play the Semi-slav

by David Vigorito
5.0 out of 5 stars (2)  $19.77
Play the Nimzo-Indian

Play the Nimzo-Indian

by Edward Dearing
5.0 out of 5 stars (3)  $16.47
Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The Benko Gambit, named after the Hungarian player Pal Benko, who pioneered it, has long been a favorite opening of dynamic tournament chess players. This entertaining guide is part of a series that treats openings in a fresh new way. “First Moves” leads you through the basics as you start the gambit. “Tricks and Traps” reveals the secrets of catching out your opponent. And “What’s Hot” divulges the very latest ideas from the champions. A detailed table summarizes the main variations, with assessments.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 160 pages
  • Publisher: Batsford (September 1, 2004)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0713488689
  • ISBN-13: 978-0713488685
  • Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #709,941 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?


Tag this product

 (What's this?)
Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items.
Your tags: Add your first tag
 
Help others find this product — tag it for Amazon search
No one has tagged this product for Amazon search yet. Why not be the first to suggest a search for which it should appear?

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

 

Customer Reviews

3 Reviews
5 star:
 (2)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent start in the Benko, May 28, 2006
This book is a great place to start for players wanting to understand this gambit.

"The Benko Gambit Revealed" is a fairly quick read but has enough theory for club players to wheel out the Benko with confidence.
In particular, McDonald does a very good job of explaining the kind of compensation that black traditionally gets for the gambited pawn. One of the strongest points of this book is that the reader is taught standard tactical motifs as well as the fundamental strategic ideas. This will help the reader understand WHY certain lines are more critical than others.
As well as which ideas are more consistent with the philosophy of the opening.
Rather than demonstrating long lines, McDonald attempts to explain the unlying ideas behind the theory. This approach often leads to "feel good" books that are one-dimentional. However, McDonald does a good job of maintaining objectivity while being informative enough to keep the book from being too 'light'.

Overall, the book is a success because I think the reader comes away from this book with a terrific sense of what the Benko is about. Still, it will be necessary for stronger players to review material from other sources (such as Informator, New In Chess, etc.) in the most critical lines (e.g. Ephishin's 10.Rb1 in the fianchetto line). But for the average chess player there is ample coverage and don't worry in most lines McDonald is able to demonstate at least adequate compensation for the pawn.

Having spent years reading almost every book on the Benko available in english (and trust me, there have been quite a few) this book is the one I would recommend for players looking to start playing this system for Black. It is inspirational and informative. Be sure to pay attention through to the last chapter since that's where most of the theory is listed and serves a good transition into a more rigorious work some players will need to feel completely confortable.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Better Than the Actual Variation, April 18, 2007
If only the Volga Gambit (aka: The Benko) were as solid as this effort from McDonald. From the genetic and in depth look at a prescient Capablanca-Nimzowitch game to the section on What's Hot at upper levels of play, this book reads better (and thus entertains more) than the average chess book. And it delivers the goods on theory as well as McDonalds culls from a healthy set of sources (as listed in the bibliography) and mixes heavier analysis with ligther sections with some nice wit and pith injected to keep us reminded that it is, after all, just a game we are playing.

Now, if only the Benko itself offered as many winning chances to Black as this books does to its audience.....
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
3 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Great first book to study the Benko, February 23, 2005
By J. Hardy (GA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
I signed up to play a thematic tournament via email. The theme is the Benko Gambit Declined. Since I'm a beginner at chess my library is rather poor. This book has helped me discover the many interesting variations involved with this opening. The commentary is really simple to follow. Great book.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
New! See all customer communities, and bookmark your communities to keep track of them.
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]

   
Related forums


Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)



Look for Similar Items by Category


Up to 30% Off Lansinoh

Up to 30% Off Lansinoh
This July, enjoy savings of up to 30% on select Lansinoh products offered by Amazon.com. Lansinoh is dedicated to providing breastfeeding solutions.

Learn more

 

Best Books of 2008

Best of 2008
Find our top 100 editors' picks as well as customers' favorites in dozens of categories in our Best Books of 2008 Store.
 

Buy Three Books, Get a Fourth Free

4-for-3 Books
Order any four eligible books under $10 and get the lowest-price book free in our 4-for-3 Books Store. See more details.
 

Best Books

Best of the Month
See our editors' picks and more of the best new books on our Best of the Month page.
 

 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.



Where's My Stuff?

Shipping & Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.

Continue shopping: Top Sellers
Paranoia
Paranoia by Joseph Finder
My Soul to Lose
My Soul to Lose by Rachel Vincent
Glenn Beck's Common Sense
Glenn Beck's Common Sense

Conditions of Use | Privacy Notice © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates