The modern Benoni was first seen and played, even though sporadically, in the 1920's, thanks mostly to the Masters Hromadka and Marshall. However, unfortunately it did not gain the favour of the chess public until the period 1950/1960, when it was resuscitated by those players par excellence Tal and Fischer. 

The Modern Benoni is one of the defensive schemes, in reply to the Queen's opening, adopted with ever increasing frequency in recent times and its popularity shows no signs of diminishing. The apparent reasons behind this success are to be found in two principle motives which, in part, are linked the one to the other. 

It must immediately be understood that the Modern Benoni is an active defense which concedes Black very few possibilities of effective counter-play or tactical subterfuges and thus, as in all of the asymmetrical defenses, it highlights the individual's combative talents.