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Benko Gambit Declined: Hjørring Countergambit

11K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

White expected score · All ratings · All speeds

49.4%

45%55%
Floor48.6%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 50.2%.

Measured over 11K games at this level and clock.

Playablewins about as often as it loses at this level

Roughly even — the middlegame decides more than this opening choice does.

Outcomes for White

Draw 3.4 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 11K games

Rank among the families White can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
11K
Best context
51.4% at 2200-2499 Bullet
Worst context
46.7% at 1600-1799 Blitz
Average game length
33 moves
Games that end decisively
96.6%
Draws
3.4%

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

Gambit BreakpointWhite

Peak: +6.8% · Breakpoint: 1000-1199

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: 43.0% at 0-999, 60.0% at 2500+.

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: 47.8% expected score (21 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 42.3% expected score (18 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 47.3% expected score (73 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 41.8% expected score (71 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 32.6% expected score (10 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 57.5% expected score (173 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 49.2% expected score (176 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 51.8% expected score (27 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 52.5% expected score (385 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 44.7% expected score (381 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 54.1% expected score (60 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 19.3% expected score (5 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 48.5% expected score (705 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 46.7% expected score (821 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 49.6% expected score (116 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 43.6% expected score (14 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 48.5% expected score (1,044 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 47.6% expected score (1,291 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 42.8% expected score (144 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 57.7% expected score (5 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 49.3% expected score (1,368 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 49.9% expected score (1,668 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 48.7% expected score (72 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 51.4% expected score (810 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 51.3% expected score (482 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 54.5% expected score (21 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 67.1% expected score (245 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 48.6% expected score (307 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 64.3% expected score (2 games)

Related Openings

Variations (5)
Benko Gambit Declined: Main Line
47.6%
Benko Gambit Declined: Quiet Line
48.2%
Benko Gambit Declined: Sosonko Variation
48.3%
Benko Gambit Declined: Bishop Attack
45.7%
Benko Gambit Declined: Pseudo-Sämisch
47.2%
Analyze Benko Gambit Declined: Hjørring Countergambit PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Benko Gambit Declined: Hjørring Countergambit scores 49.4% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 48.6% and 50.2% — from 11K 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
11K+ 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 Declined: Hjørring Countergambit win rate?

Playing the Benko Gambit Declined: Hjørring Countergambit, White wins 47.7%, draws 3.4% and loses 48.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.4%. It rests on 11K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Benko Gambit Declined: Hjørring Countergambit perform best?

The Benko Gambit Declined: Hjørring Countergambit performs best for White at 2500+, with an Expected Score of 56.9% (554 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Benko Gambit Declined: Hjørring Countergambit better in blitz or rapid?

For White, the Benko Gambit Declined: Hjørring Countergambit scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 48.3% in Blitz (5.2K games) against 47.8% in Rapid (455 games).

How sharp is the Benko Gambit Declined: Hjørring Countergambit?

The Benko Gambit Declined: Hjørring Countergambit has a sharpness score of 96.6 (very decisive), meaning 96.6% of games end decisively. Average game length is 33 moves.

What is the Benko Gambit Declined: Hjørring Countergambit win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, White wins 42.8%, draws 1.6% and loses 55.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 43.6%. It rests on 154 Lichess games, which average 24 moves.

What is the Benko Gambit Declined: Hjørring Countergambit win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, White wins 52.2%, draws 1.7% and loses 46.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.1%. It rests on 377 Lichess games, which average 27 moves.

What is the Benko Gambit Declined: Hjørring Countergambit win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, White wins 47.5%, draws 2.5% and loses 50.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.8%. It rests on 833 Lichess games, which average 29 moves.

What is the Benko Gambit Declined: Hjørring Countergambit win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, White wins 46.2%, draws 2.7% and loses 51.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.6%. It rests on 1.7K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.

What is the Benko Gambit Declined: Hjørring Countergambit win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, White wins 46.0%, draws 3.4% and loses 50.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.7%. It rests on 2.5K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

What is the Benko Gambit Declined: Hjørring Countergambit win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, White wins 47.9%, draws 3.4% and loses 48.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.6%. It rests on 3.1K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

What is the Benko Gambit Declined: Hjørring Countergambit win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, White wins 49.5%, draws 3.8% and loses 46.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.4%. It rests on 1.3K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

What is the Benko Gambit Declined: Hjørring Countergambit win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, White wins 53.2%, draws 7.3% and loses 39.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.9%. It rests on 554 Lichess games, which average 39 moves.

What is the Benko Gambit Declined: Hjørring Countergambit win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, White wins 49.5%, draws 2.5% and loses 48.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.8%. It rests on 4.8K Lichess games.

What is the Benko Gambit Declined: Hjørring Countergambit win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, White wins 46.2%, draws 4.2% and loses 49.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.3%. It rests on 5.2K Lichess games.

What is the Benko Gambit Declined: Hjørring Countergambit win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, White wins 45.7%, draws 4.3% and loses 50.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.8%. It rests on 455 Lichess games.

Is the Benko Gambit Declined: Hjørring Countergambit a good opening?

The Benko Gambit Declined: Hjørring Countergambit is about level. Across all ratings, White wins 47.7% of its games and loses 48.9%. It performs best at 2500+. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.