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
- 47.9% 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 before we will say where it stops working. The chaos and trap lists need 500 games.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Benko Gambit Accepted win rate?
The Benko Gambit Accepted scores 53.3% (range, 90% confident: 52.5% – 54.2%) for Black, based on 9.4K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Benko Gambit Accepted perform best?
The Benko Gambit Accepted performs best at 1600-1799, where it scores 57.6% for Black (1.1K games). It tends to score less at higher ratings as opponents know the theory better.
Is the Benko Gambit Accepted better in blitz or rapid?
For Black, Rapid (56.2%) outperforms Bullet (52.2%). Choose your time control wisely.
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, the Benko Gambit Accepted scores 53.8% (range, 90% confident: 47.0% – 60.6%) for Black, based on 143 Lichess games. Average game length is 27 moves with a 1.7% draw rate.
What is the Benko Gambit Accepted win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, the Benko Gambit Accepted scores 54.8% (range, 90% confident: 50.7% – 58.9%) for Black, based on 397 Lichess games. Average game length is 29 moves with a 2.9% draw rate.
What is the Benko Gambit Accepted win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, the Benko Gambit Accepted scores 57.6% (range, 90% confident: 55.2% – 60.1%) for Black, based on 1.1K Lichess games. Average game length is 31 moves with a 3.5% draw rate.
What is the Benko Gambit Accepted win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, the Benko Gambit Accepted scores 54.5% (range, 90% confident: 52.7% – 56.3%) for Black, based on 2.1K Lichess games. Average game length is 34 moves with a 4.5% draw rate.
What is the Benko Gambit Accepted win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, the Benko Gambit Accepted scores 54.3% (range, 90% confident: 52.8% – 55.7%) for Black, based on 3.0K Lichess games. Average game length is 35 moves with a 4.3% draw rate.
What is the Benko Gambit Accepted win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, the Benko Gambit Accepted scores 50.0% (range, 90% confident: 48.3% – 51.8%) for Black, based on 2.3K Lichess games. Average game length is 35 moves with a 4.7% draw rate.
What is the Benko Gambit Accepted win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, the Benko Gambit Accepted scores 47.0% (range, 90% confident: 42.8% – 51.1%) for Black, based on 389 Lichess games. Average game length is 36 moves with a 5.5% draw rate.
What is the Benko Gambit Accepted win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet games, the Benko Gambit Accepted scores 52.2% (range, 90% confident: 50.7% – 53.6%) for Black (3.3K Lichess games). Draw rate is 3.6%.
What is the Benko Gambit Accepted win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz games, the Benko Gambit Accepted scores 53.7% (range, 90% confident: 52.5% – 54.8%) for Black (5.3K Lichess games). Draw rate is 4.5%.
What is the Benko Gambit Accepted win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid games, the Benko Gambit Accepted scores 56.2% (range, 90% confident: 53.3% – 59.0%) for Black (824 Lichess games). Draw rate is 5.5%.
Is the Benko Gambit Accepted a good opening?
The Benko Gambit Accepted is good for Black with a 44.6% (range, 90% confident: 43.7% – 45.4%) win rate across all ratings. It performs best at 1600-1799. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.