Benoni Defense: Old Benoni, Schmid Variation

An entry in the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings (ECO A43), reached after 6 half-moves: 1. d4 c5 2. d5 d6 3. Nc3 g6.

Black rook — Use ← → arrows or click moves to step through.

Black knight — Use ← → arrows or click moves to step through.

End of this line

No further variations branch from this position in our database. To explore neighbouring ideas:

About this opening

Benoni Defense: Old Benoni, Schmid Variation is an opening in the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings, classified under code A43. ECO group A (A00–A99) covers flank and irregular openings, including the English, Bird, Réti and Dutch defences. This particular variation is reached after 6 half-moves from the starting position, with the move sequence 1. d4 c5 2. d5 d6 3. Nc3 g6.

It belongs to the Benoni Defense family. Within that family this is a level-2 branch (the Old Benoni → Schmid Variation line). The immediate parent line is Benoni Defense: Old Benoni, transitioned via 3…g6.

The opening sequence in prose form: 1.d4 c5, 2.d5 d6, 3.Nc3 g6. From this position the encyclopaedia records no further canonical continuations — practical play branches into unnamed transpositions or returns to the parent line for alternative ideas.