Chessy
How to Play the Tamarkin Countergambit (Black)
Welcome to one of the sharpest sidelines in the Benoni family. After 1.d4 c5 2.Nf3 cxd4 3.b4, White offers a pawn with the Zilbermints Gambit — but you are playing Black, and you have a powerful answer: 3...e5. This is the Tamarkin Countergambit, and it turns the tables immediately. The statistics are extraordinary: across games at this exact position, Black wins 72.7% of the time, with no draws. The engine agrees — we are looking at a clear advantage for you. Below you will face the position and practise punishing White's most natural replies.
Play the Benoni Defense: Zilbermints-Benoni Gambit, Tamarkin Countergambit against the engine
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Ready to test your skills? Play the Tamarkin Countergambit position below against the adaptive engine and see if you can convert Black's advantage into a win. A
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The centre. White's gambit with 3.b4 was supposed to distract you, but 3...e5 claims your own central space and attacks White's remaining d4-pawn indirectly. Your pawn on e5 eyes f4 and supports future piece play against the White kingside. If White ever captures on e5, your knight recaptures with tempo and your lead in development grows. You are not just defending — you are counterattacking. The engine gives -0.87, a solid plus for Black, which means you are clearly better here. Your task is to keep the initiative and not let White's extra pawn become relevant.
The Critical Reply: When White Plays Nxe5
The most common move from this position is 4.Nxe5 (played in 7 of 11 recorded games). White accepts that their b4-pawn gambit has backfired and tries to salvage equality by grabbing your e-pawn. Your reply is simple: 4...Nc6, attacking the knight on e5. After 5.a3 (the engine's continuation), you can recapture with ...Nxe5 and enjoy a comfortable game with your centre intact and White's queenside loosened. White scores only 28.6% from this line — the statistics confirm you are doing well. Trust your development and don't rush to win back the b4-pawn; your positional pluses matter more.
The Engine's Top Choice: a3
Stockfish's preferred move is 4.a3, a patient prophylactic move that prevents ...Bb4 and keeps the b4-pawn alive. Even so, White scores just 33.3% after this. Your plan is 4...a5, hitting the b4-pawn again. The engine then suggests 5.Nxe5 Nc6 — transposing to a line similar to the one above, but now White has wasted a tempo on a3. That tempo loss matters: your pieces come out faster, and the b4-pawn remains a long-term target. Simply develop naturally, castle quickly, and enjoy your easier position.
The Mistake to Punish: Bb2
A word of warning for White. The move 4.Bb2 has been played once in the database and it is a clear mistake, losing roughly 1.5 pawns in evaluation. The correct move was a3, but if your opponent plays Bb2, you should be ready. Your counterplay is straightforward: the e5-pawn already attacks d4, and you can follow up with ...Nc6, ...d6, and ...Bg4 or ...Nf6, putting pressure on White's centre. The engine's evaluation jumps further in your favour after Bb2, so stay alert — this is the moment where your advantage can become decisive quickly.
Results across 11 Lichess games
| Most-played continuation | Games | White wins |
|---|---|---|
| Nxe5 | 7 | 28.6% |
| a3 | 3 | 33.3% |
| Bb2 | 1 | 0.0% |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Tamarkin Countergambit?
It is a sharp reply to the Zilbermints-Benoni Gambit. After 1.d4 c5 2.Nf3 cxd4 3.b4, Black plays 3...e5 instead of accepting the b4-pawn. This counterattack in the centre gives Black excellent statistics — a 72.7% win rate in the database.
Does Black have to know a lot of theory for this opening?
Not really. The Tamarkin Countergambit is rare (only 11 games in the database), but the ideas are simple: develop your pieces, attack White's centre, and don't worry about the b4-pawn. The engine rates the position at -0.87 in Black's favour, meaning your natural moves should keep the advantage.
What if White plays 4.a3?
That is actually the engine's best try. Respond with 4...a5, hitting the b4-pawn. After 5.Nxe5 Nc6, you reach a comfortable position where White has wasted a tempo on a3. White scores only 33.3% from this line, so you are still doing well.
Is 4.Bb2 really a mistake?
Yes. According to the engine it loses about 1.5 pawns compared to the better move a3. If your opponent plays Bb2, you should be alert — your advantage is about to grow even larger. Develop quickly and put pressure on the centre.