Benko Gambit Declined: Sosonko Variation
21K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · All ratings · All speeds
50.9%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 51.5%.
Measured over 21K games at this level and clock.
Roughly even — the middlegame decides more than this opening choice does.
Outcomes for White
Draw 5.2 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 21K games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 21K
- Best context
- 53.1% at 2200-2499 Blitz
- Worst context
- 43.4% at 1800-1999 Bullet
- Average game length
- 36 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: 53.5% at 0-999, 59.4% 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: 68.2% expected score (4 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 44.2% expected score (7 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 38.0% expected score (11 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 61.6% expected score (33 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 44.6% expected score (35 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 73.6% expected score (7 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 48.0% expected score (74 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 48.3% expected score (87 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 36.5% expected score (17 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 46.9% expected score (239 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 46.1% expected score (315 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 51.0% expected score (51 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 40.5% expected score (9 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 43.4% expected score (635 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 51.1% expected score (1,834 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 48.0% expected score (121 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 55.3% expected score (8 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 50.7% expected score (1,472 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 49.9% expected score (5,477 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 45.5% expected score (278 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 67.3% expected score (13 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 51.9% expected score (3,523 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 53.1% expected score (5,174 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 49.6% expected score (229 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 54.1% expected score (434 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 51.1% expected score (417 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 73.1% expected score (5 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Benko Gambit Declined: Sosonko Variation scores 50.9% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 50.4% and 51.5% — from 21K 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
- 21K+ 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: Sosonko Variation win rate?
Playing the Benko Gambit Declined: Sosonko Variation, White wins 48.3%, draws 5.2% and loses 46.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.9%. It rests on 21K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Benko Gambit Declined: Sosonko Variation perform best?
The Benko Gambit Declined: Sosonko Variation performs best for White at 2200-2499, with an Expected Score of 52.5% (8.9K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Benko Gambit Declined: Sosonko Variation better in blitz or rapid?
For White, the Benko Gambit Declined: Sosonko Variation scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 51.2% in Blitz (13K games) against 48.1% in Rapid (709 games).
How sharp is the Benko Gambit Declined: Sosonko Variation?
The Benko Gambit Declined: Sosonko Variation has a sharpness score of 94.8 (decisive), meaning 94.8% of games end decisively. Average game length is 36 moves.
What is the Benko Gambit Declined: Sosonko Variation win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, White wins 46.8%, draws 0.8% and loses 52.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.3%. It rests on 181 Lichess games, which average 31 moves.
What is the Benko Gambit Declined: Sosonko Variation win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, White wins 44.9%, draws 3.5% and loses 51.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.7%. It rests on 614 Lichess games, which average 32 moves.
What is the Benko Gambit Declined: Sosonko Variation win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, White wins 46.8%, draws 4.4% and loses 48.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.0%. It rests on 2.6K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.
What is the Benko Gambit Declined: Sosonko Variation win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, White wins 47.2%, draws 5.4% and loses 47.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.9%. It rests on 7.2K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.
What is the Benko Gambit Declined: Sosonko Variation win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, White wins 49.8%, draws 5.3% and loses 44.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.5%. It rests on 8.9K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.
What is the Benko Gambit Declined: Sosonko Variation win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, White wins 49.0%, draws 7.4% and loses 43.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.7%. It rests on 856 Lichess games, which average 39 moves.
What is the Benko Gambit Declined: Sosonko Variation win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, White wins 48.9%, draws 3.5% and loses 47.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.7%. It rests on 6.4K Lichess games.
What is the Benko Gambit Declined: Sosonko Variation win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, White wins 48.2%, draws 5.9% and loses 45.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.2%. It rests on 13K Lichess games.
What is the Benko Gambit Declined: Sosonko Variation win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, White wins 44.7%, draws 6.7% and loses 48.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.1%. It rests on 709 Lichess games.
Is the Benko Gambit Declined: Sosonko Variation a good opening?
The Benko Gambit Declined: Sosonko Variation is about level. Across all ratings, White wins 48.3% of its games and loses 46.5%. It performs best at 2200-2499. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.