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Benko Gambit Declined: Main Line

61K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

White expected score · All ratings · All speeds

50.3%

45%55%
Floor50.0%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 50.6%.

Measured over 61K 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 5.3 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 61K games

Rank among the families White can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
61K
Best context
57.9% at 2500+ Blitz
Worst context
46.2% at 1600-1799 Bullet
Average game length
37 moves
Games that end decisively
94.7%
Draws
5.3%

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.

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: 48.2% at 0-999, 52.3% 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: 37.1% expected score (14 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 29.0% expected score (8 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 78.6% expected score (2 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 49.3% expected score (72 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 51.2% expected score (42 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (6 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 52.4% expected score (170 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 53.7% expected score (218 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 66.1% expected score (39 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 51.0% expected score (561 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 48.6% expected score (718 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 58.7% expected score (120 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 13.7% expected score (4 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 46.2% expected score (1,278 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 46.7% expected score (2,109 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 51.8% expected score (288 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 63.2% expected score (25 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 48.5% expected score (2,415 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 46.8% expected score (6,344 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 47.4% expected score (769 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 59.1% expected score (59 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 48.6% expected score (3,930 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 49.4% expected score (13,426 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 50.3% expected score (1,054 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (34 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 50.3% expected score (6,643 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 52.4% expected score (14,865 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 54.2% expected score (790 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (27 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 53.8% expected score (2,548 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 57.9% expected score (1,871 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 47.3% expected score (54 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (1 games)

Related Openings

Variations (5)
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%
Benko Gambit Declined: Hjørring Countergambit
47.7%
Analyze Benko Gambit Declined: Main Line PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Benko Gambit Declined: Main Line scores 50.3% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 50.0% and 50.6% — from 61K 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
61K+ 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: Main Line win rate?

Playing the Benko Gambit Declined: Main Line, White wins 47.6%, draws 5.3% and loses 47.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.3%. It rests on 61K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Benko Gambit Declined: Main Line perform best?

The Benko Gambit Declined: Main Line performs best for White at 2500+, with an Expected Score of 55.5% (4.5K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Benko Gambit Declined: Main Line better in blitz or rapid?

For White, the Benko Gambit Declined: Main Line scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 50.4% in Blitz (40K games) against 51.2% in Rapid (3.1K games).

How sharp is the Benko Gambit Declined: Main Line?

The Benko Gambit Declined: Main Line has a sharpness score of 94.7 (decisive), meaning 94.7% of games end decisively. Average game length is 37 moves.

What is the Benko Gambit Declined: Main Line win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, White wins 49.0%, draws 2.1% and loses 49.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.0%. It rests on 120 Lichess games, which average 28 moves.

What is the Benko Gambit Declined: Main Line win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, White wins 52.8%, draws 2.9% and loses 44.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.3%. It rests on 429 Lichess games, which average 28 moves.

What is the Benko Gambit Declined: Main Line win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, White wins 49.2%, draws 2.0% and loses 48.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.2%. It rests on 1.4K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.

What is the Benko Gambit Declined: Main Line win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, White wins 45.4%, draws 3.2% and loses 51.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.0%. It rests on 3.7K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

What is the Benko Gambit Declined: Main Line win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, White wins 45.2%, draws 4.2% and loses 50.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.3%. It rests on 9.6K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

What is the Benko Gambit Declined: Main Line win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, White wins 46.6%, draws 5.4% and loses 48.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.3%. It rests on 18K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.

What is the Benko Gambit Declined: Main Line win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, White wins 48.7%, draws 6.1% and loses 45.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.8%. It rests on 22K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.

What is the Benko Gambit Declined: Main Line win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, White wins 52.1%, draws 6.7% and loses 41.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.5%. It rests on 4.5K Lichess games, which average 41 moves.

What is the Benko Gambit Declined: Main Line win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, White wins 48.0%, draws 3.7% and loses 48.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.9%. It rests on 18K Lichess games.

What is the Benko Gambit Declined: Main Line win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, White wins 47.4%, draws 5.9% and loses 46.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.4%. It rests on 40K Lichess games.

What is the Benko Gambit Declined: Main Line win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, White wins 47.7%, draws 7.1% and loses 45.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.2%. It rests on 3.1K Lichess games.

What is the Benko Gambit Declined: Main Line win rate in Classical?

In Classical, White wins 49.8%, draws 9.6% and loses 40.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.6%. It rests on 150 Lichess games.

Is the Benko Gambit Declined: Main Line a good opening?

The Benko Gambit Declined: Main Line is about level. Across all ratings, White wins 47.6% of its games and loses 47.1%. It performs best at 2500+. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.