Benko Gambit Accepted
9.4K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds
53.3%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 54.2%.
Measured over 9.4K games at this level and clock.
A strong choice for Black at this level and clock.
Outcomes for Black
Draw 4.3 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 9.4K games
- Rank among the families Black can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 9.4K
- Best context
- 57.6% at 1600-1799 Blitz
- Worst context
- 48.0% at 2200-2499 Blitz
- Average game length
- 34 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 95.7%
- Draws
- 4.3%
Best and worst are the strongest and weakest squares with at least 500 games behind them. The table further down shows every square, including thinner ones.
Extra Analysis
Deep-dive datasets for this opening
Where it holds · Black score by rating × clock
Green is clearly ahead for Black, grey is around even, red is behind. Tap a cell to measure there, and again to clear. It falls away as the rating rises: 60.1% at 0-999, 46.6% at 2500+.
| Rating | UB | Bulle | Blitz | Rapid | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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: 36.7% expected score (6 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 83.4% expected score (3 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 53.5% expected score (13 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 37.3% expected score (26 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 57.7% expected score (5 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 78.6% expected score (2 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 48.8% expected score (37 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 55.1% expected score (87 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 52.8% expected score (17 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 46.7% expected score (120 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 58.0% expected score (225 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 60.7% expected score (50 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 35.7% expected score (2 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 55.9% expected score (272 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 57.6% expected score (671 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 62.5% expected score (135 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 43.6% expected score (14 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 53.7% expected score (504 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 55.1% expected score (1,277 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 52.7% expected score (280 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 58.2% expected score (17 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 51.9% expected score (1,067 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 55.1% expected score (1,666 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 58.4% expected score (254 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 44.2% expected score (7 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 52.6% expected score (1,011 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 48.0% expected score (1,168 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 47.7% expected score (83 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 47.8% expected score (251 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 45.4% expected score (138 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Benko Gambit Accepted scores 53.3% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 52.5% and 54.2% — from 9.4K Lichess games. Win rate, draw rate and loss rate come from games played December 2023 to November 2025.
How the figures are made
- Whose games these are
- 9.4K+ rated games played on Lichess (2023-12 to 2025-11). The games are Lichess’s and free for anyone to use. What is ours is the reading of them. Last rebuilt January 2026.
- Which games we count
- Rated games only — nothing casual.
- Both players within 200 rating points of each other. A mismatch tells you about the gap, not about the opening.
- At least 2 moves played.
- A game is filed under White’s rating.
- Why every number comes with a range
- A number off a few hundred games is a guess. The same number off millions is a fact. The range is what tells them apart, and it is what the lists rank on — so an opening cannot reach the top on a lucky run of forty games. The more games behind a figure, the narrower its range.
- How much we need before we say anything
- An opening page needs 100 games. A gambit needs 50 games at a rating before we will say whether it pays there. The chaos and trap lists need 500 games overall and 250 games at one rating or clock.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Benko Gambit Accepted win rate?
Playing the Benko Gambit Accepted, Black wins 51.2%, draws 4.3% and loses 44.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.3%. It rests on 9.4K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Benko Gambit Accepted perform best?
The Benko Gambit Accepted performs best for Black at 1600-1799, with an Expected Score of 57.6% (1.1K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Benko Gambit Accepted better in blitz or rapid?
For Black, the Benko Gambit Accepted scores higher in Rapid: an Expected Score of 53.7% in Blitz (5.3K games) against 56.2% in Rapid (824 games).
How sharp is the Benko Gambit Accepted?
The Benko Gambit Accepted has a sharpness score of 95.7 (very decisive), meaning 95.7% of games end decisively. Average game length is 34 moves.
What is the Benko Gambit Accepted win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, Black wins 52.9%, draws 1.7% and loses 45.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.8%. It rests on 143 Lichess games, which average 27 moves.
What is the Benko Gambit Accepted win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, Black wins 53.3%, draws 2.9% and loses 43.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.8%. It rests on 397 Lichess games, which average 29 moves.
What is the Benko Gambit Accepted win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, Black wins 55.8%, draws 3.5% and loses 40.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.6%. It rests on 1.1K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.
What is the Benko Gambit Accepted win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, Black wins 52.2%, draws 4.5% and loses 43.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.5%. It rests on 2.1K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.
What is the Benko Gambit Accepted win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, Black wins 52.1%, draws 4.3% and loses 43.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.3%. It rests on 3.0K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.
What is the Benko Gambit Accepted win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, Black wins 47.7%, draws 4.7% and loses 47.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.0%. It rests on 2.3K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.
What is the Benko Gambit Accepted win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, Black wins 44.2%, draws 5.5% and loses 50.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.0%. It rests on 389 Lichess games, which average 36 moves.
What is the Benko Gambit Accepted win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, Black wins 50.3%, draws 3.6% and loses 46.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.2%. It rests on 3.3K Lichess games.
What is the Benko Gambit Accepted win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, Black wins 51.4%, draws 4.5% and loses 44.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.7%. It rests on 5.3K Lichess games.
What is the Benko Gambit Accepted win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, Black wins 53.4%, draws 5.5% and loses 41.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.2%. It rests on 824 Lichess games.
Is the Benko Gambit Accepted a good opening?
The Benko Gambit Accepted is good for Black. Across all ratings, Black wins 51.2% of its games and loses 44.6%. It performs best at 1600-1799. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.