Benko Gambit Accepted: Fianchetto Variation
48K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · All ratings · All speeds
45.8%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 46.2%.
Measured over 48K games at this level and clock.
White comes out behind here — there are better weapons in the list.
Outcomes for White
Draw 5.2 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 48K games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 48K
- Best context
- 56.8% at 2500+ Bullet
- Worst context
- 39.7% at 1800-1999 Rapid
- Average game length
- 37 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 94.8%
- Draws
- 5.2%
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.
Where it holds · White score by rating × clock
Green is clearly ahead for White, grey is around even, red is behind. Tap a cell to measure there, and again to clear. It gets better as the rating rises: 30.0% at 0-999, 61.1% 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: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 35.7% expected score (9 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 31.9% expected score (4 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 50.0% expected score (58 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 39.7% expected score (37 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 31.9% expected score (4 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 64.3% expected score (2 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 41.7% expected score (267 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 41.9% expected score (288 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 35.1% expected score (42 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (4 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 40.8% expected score (1,211 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 39.8% expected score (1,986 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 36.1% expected score (214 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 46.4% expected score (26 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 43.7% expected score (2,162 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 40.2% expected score (7,423 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 39.7% expected score (871 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 45.2% expected score (72 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 42.4% expected score (3,655 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 45.5% expected score (12,678 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 40.7% expected score (1,501 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 40.8% expected score (58 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 48.9% expected score (3,653 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 53.2% expected score (8,827 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 48.8% expected score (898 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 56.5% expected score (14 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 56.8% expected score (1,187 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 56.7% expected score (676 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 60.9% expected score (17 games)
- 2500+ rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Benko Gambit Accepted: Fianchetto Variation scores 45.8% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 45.5% and 46.2% — from 48K 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
- 48K+ 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: Fianchetto Variation win rate?
Playing the Benko Gambit Accepted: Fianchetto Variation, White wins 43.2%, draws 5.2% and loses 51.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.8%. It rests on 48K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Benko Gambit Accepted: Fianchetto Variation perform best?
The Benko Gambit Accepted: Fianchetto Variation performs best for White at 2500+, with an Expected Score of 56.9% (1.9K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Benko Gambit Accepted: Fianchetto Variation better in blitz or rapid?
For White, the Benko Gambit Accepted: Fianchetto Variation scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 46.2% in Blitz (32K games) against 42.2% in Rapid (3.5K games).
How sharp is the Benko Gambit Accepted: Fianchetto Variation?
The Benko Gambit Accepted: Fianchetto Variation has a sharpness score of 94.8 (decisive), meaning 94.8% of games end decisively. Average game length is 37 moves.
What is the Benko Gambit Accepted: Fianchetto Variation win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, White wins 44.4%, draws 2.4% and loses 53.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.6%. It rests on 101 Lichess games, which average 30 moves.
What is the Benko Gambit Accepted: Fianchetto Variation win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, White wins 39.9%, draws 2.7% and loses 57.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 41.3%. It rests on 601 Lichess games, which average 31 moves.
What is the Benko Gambit Accepted: Fianchetto Variation win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, White wins 38.1%, draws 3.6% and loses 58.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 40.0%. It rests on 3.4K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.
What is the Benko Gambit Accepted: Fianchetto Variation win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, White wins 38.8%, draws 4.3% and loses 56.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 41.0%. It rests on 11K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.
What is the Benko Gambit Accepted: Fianchetto Variation win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, White wins 41.8%, draws 5.3% and loses 52.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.5%. It rests on 18K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.
What is the Benko Gambit Accepted: Fianchetto Variation win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, White wins 48.8%, draws 5.9% and loses 45.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.8%. It rests on 13K Lichess games, which average 40 moves.
What is the Benko Gambit Accepted: Fianchetto Variation win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, White wins 53.4%, draws 6.9% and loses 39.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.9%. It rests on 1.9K Lichess games, which average 42 moves.
What is the Benko Gambit Accepted: Fianchetto Variation win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, White wins 44.0%, draws 3.6% and loses 52.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.8%. It rests on 12K Lichess games.
What is the Benko Gambit Accepted: Fianchetto Variation win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, White wins 43.4%, draws 5.6% and loses 51.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.2%. It rests on 32K Lichess games.
What is the Benko Gambit Accepted: Fianchetto Variation win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, White wins 38.8%, draws 6.9% and loses 54.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 42.2%. It rests on 3.5K Lichess games.
What is the Benko Gambit Accepted: Fianchetto Variation win rate in Classical?
In Classical, White wins 40.1%, draws 10.9% and loses 49.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.6%. It rests on 177 Lichess games.
Is the Benko Gambit Accepted: Fianchetto Variation a good opening?
The Benko Gambit Accepted: Fianchetto Variation is hard work for White — it favours Black. Across all ratings, White wins 43.2% of its games and loses 51.6%. It performs best at 2500+. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.