Pal Benko

Pal Benko (July 14, 1928 – August 26, 2019) was a Hungarian-American chess grandmaster, author, and composer of endgame studies and chess problems. He was known for his aggressive and creative style of play.

Benko was born in Amiens, France, while his parents were returning to Hungary from Argentina. He represented Hungary in the Chess Olympiads four times (1956, 1958, 1960, and 1962), winning individual bronze in 1957. He defected to the United States in 1957 and became a U.S. citizen. He represented the U.S. in the Chess Olympiads eight times (1964, 1966, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1976, and 1978).

Benko was a candidate for the World Chess Championship eight times between 1959 and 1971. Although he never challenged for the title, he had victories against several World Champions, including Bobby Fischer, Mikhail Tal, and Tigran Petrosian.

He is particularly renowned for his contributions to chess theory. The "Benko Gambit" (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5) is named after him, a line which he pioneered and analyzed extensively. He also made significant contributions to endgame study composition.

Benko authored several books on chess, including "The Benko Gambit," "Winning with Chess Psychology," and "My Life, Games and Compositions."

He remained active in chess throughout his life, playing in tournaments and composing studies. He passed away in Budapest, Hungary, in 2019.