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Analyzer

Benko Gambit

22 variations · 1.5M games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

Key Finding

Benko Gambit leaves White at 47.9% — consider alternatives.

The minimum advantage of -4.4% suggests this opening underperforms statistically at your level.

You play
Tough Sell
Rating
Time
White Expected Score0.0%Range (90% confident): 47.8% – 48.0%Aggregated from 22 variations
0%47.9%100%
Range (90% confident): 47.8% – 48.0%
ContextOverall · n=1.5M
Outcome Distribution
45.4%5.0%49.6%
Win
Draw
Loss
9.g3
Benko Gambit
Variations22
Games (Context)1.5M
Avg Length36 moves
Draw Rate5.0%

What is the Benko Gambit expected score for White?

Snapshot

Overall, the Benko Gambit family has a 47.9% expected score for White (we're 90% confident it's between 47.8% and 48.0%), aggregated from 22 variations and 1.5M Lichess games.

White Win% by Rating

Stable across ratings (~50%)

0
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
2200
2500+

  • 0-999: 49.5% win rate (1,011 games)
  • 1000-1199: 47.4% win rate (5,725 games)
  • 1200-1399: 47.3% win rate (20,119 games)
  • 1400-1599: 45.2% win rate (60,265 games)
  • 1600-1799: 43.8% win rate (169,647 games)
  • 1800-1999: 43.0% win rate (355,928 games)
  • 2000-2199: 44.7% win rate (455,490 games)
  • 2200-2499: 48.3% win rate (341,608 games)
  • 2500+: 50.5% win rate (60,824 games)

White Win% by Time Control

Best in UltraBullet (47%), worst in Classical (44%)

UltraBullet
Bullet
Blitz
Rapid
Classical

  • UltraBullet: 46.6% win rate (139 games)
  • Bullet: 46.3% win rate (392,430 games)
  • Blitz: 45.2% win rate (941,028 games)
  • Rapid: 43.7% win rate (131,212 games)
  • Classical: 43.6% win rate (5,808 games)

Rating vs Time Control Matrix

Click cells to filter · White expected scores

White% by Rating × Time Control

Click any cell to filter. Green = above 50%, Red = below 50%.

RatingUBBulleBlitzRapidClass
0-999——
1000-1199—
1200-1399
1400-1599
1600-1799
1800-1999
2000-2199
2200-2499
2500+

Expected score matrix by rating bracket and time control

  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 50.0% expected score (525 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 48.9% expected score (426 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 64.7% expected score (60 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 46.3% expected score (2,697 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 49.9% expected score (2,602 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 51.3% expected score (425 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 32.6% expected score (10 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 47.9% expected score (8,118 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 48.6% expected score (10,277 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 48.7% expected score (1,667 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 42.8% expected score (47 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 39.5% expected score (46 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 45.9% expected score (19,770 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 46.7% expected score (33,905 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 47.7% expected score (6,187 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 43.9% expected score (357 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 39.3% expected score (31 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 45.4% expected score (47,225 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 45.3% expected score (102,717 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 46.7% expected score (18,549 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 46.5% expected score (1,125 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 59.3% expected score (20 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 45.9% expected score (73,422 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 45.1% expected score (239,712 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 44.7% expected score (40,196 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 45.6% expected score (2,578 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 60.6% expected score (8 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 47.2% expected score (96,109 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 47.6% expected score (313,575 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 46.4% expected score (44,407 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 50.6% expected score (1,391 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (20 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 50.0% expected score (109,750 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 52.4% expected score (212,659 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 51.5% expected score (18,880 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 63.5% expected score (299 games)
  • 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 68.2% expected score (4 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 53.4% expected score (34,814 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 55.6% expected score (25,155 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 58.7% expected score (841 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 67.4% expected score (10 games)

Matrix view reveals how performance varies across rating brackets and time controls. Green indicates favorable, red indicates challenging contexts.

Variations (22)

1
Benko Gambit: Zaitsev Variation, Nescafe Frappe Attack11K games
62.2%
2
Benko Gambit: Nescafe Frappe Attack3.2K games
57.9%
3
Benko Gambit Accepted: Central Storming Variation1.7K games
58.3%
Benko Gambit Accepted: Dlugy Variation19K games
52.5%
Benko Gambit Declined: Quiet Line23K games
51.3%
Benko Gambit Declined: Sosonko Variation21K games
50.9%
Benko Gambit Accepted: Modern Variation112K games
50.5%
Benko Gambit Accepted: Pawn Return Variation107K games
50.4%
Benko Gambit Declined: Main Line61K games
50.3%
Benko Gambit Accepted: King Walk Variation56K games
50.0%
Benko Gambit Declined: Pseudo-Sämisch11K games
49.5%
Benko Gambit Declined: Hjørring Countergambit11K games
49.4%
Benko Gambit Accepted: Fully Accepted Variation208K games
47.5%
Benko Gambit Accepted: Yugoslav46K games
47.5%
Benko Gambit Declined: Bishop Attack12K games
47.7%
Benko Gambit: Nd2 Variation1.9K games
48.5%
Benko Gambit564K games
46.4%
Benko Gambit: Zaitsev System144K games
46.3%
Benko Gambit: Fianchetto Variation3.5K games
47.4%
Benko Gambit Accepted9.4K games
46.7%
Benko Gambit Accepted: Fianchetto Variation48K games
45.8%
Benko Gambit: Mutkin Countergambit392 games
48.3%
Analyze Benko Gambit PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Benko Gambit win rate?

The Benko Gambit family has a 45.4% (90% CI: 45.3%-45.4%) win rate for white, aggregated from 22 variations and 1.5M rated games from Lichess.

How many Benko Gambit variations are there?

This analysis covers 22 Benko Gambit variations with sufficient game data. Each variation has its own statistics page with detailed win rates by rating and time control.

At what rating does the Benko Gambit perform best?

The Benko Gambit family performs best at 2500+ Elo with a 50.5% win rate for white (61K games). Performance may vary by specific variation.

Is the Benko Gambit better in blitz or rapid?

Bullet (46.3%) outperforms UltraBullet (46.6%) by -0.3% across all Benko Gambit variations.

How sharp is the Benko Gambit?

Benko Gambit games are 95.0% decisive (non-draws), with an average length of 36 moves. Sharpness varies by specific variation.

Is the Benko Gambit a good opening family?

The Benko Gambit family is slightly favors black overall with a 45.4% (90% CI: 45.3%-45.4%) aggregated win rate. However, win rates vary significantly between the 22 variations—explore individual lines to find the best fit for your style.