Benko Gambit: Fianchetto Variation
3.5K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · All ratings · All speeds
47.4%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 48.8%.
Measured over 3.5K games at this level and clock.
White comes out behind here — there are better weapons in the list.
Outcomes for White
Draw 5.5 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 3.5K games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 3.5K
- Best context
- 53.7% at 2200-2499 Blitz
- Worst context
- 45.8% at 2000-2199 Blitz
- Average game length
- 36 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 94.5%
- Draws
- 5.5%
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 · 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: 30.2% at 1200-1399, 57.9% 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
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 47.8% expected score (21 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 37.2% expected score (18 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 37.0% expected score (56 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 45.0% expected score (78 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 41.3% expected score (10 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 16.7% expected score (3 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 47.0% expected score (265 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 42.0% expected score (484 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 32.0% expected score (43 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 13.7% expected score (4 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 48.7% expected score (377 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 45.8% expected score (921 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 40.0% expected score (68 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 51.2% expected score (269 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 53.7% expected score (665 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 48.9% expected score (42 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 61.5% expected score (64 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 54.2% expected score (58 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Benko Gambit: Fianchetto Variation scores 47.4% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 46.0% and 48.8% — from 3.5K 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
- 3.5K+ 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: Fianchetto Variation win rate?
Playing the Benko Gambit: Fianchetto Variation, White wins 44.6%, draws 5.5% and loses 49.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.4%. It rests on 3.5K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Benko Gambit: Fianchetto Variation perform best?
The Benko Gambit: Fianchetto Variation performs best for White at 2500+, with an Expected Score of 58.1% (122 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Benko Gambit: Fianchetto Variation better in blitz or rapid?
For White, the Benko Gambit: Fianchetto Variation scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 47.5% in Blitz (2.2K games) against 40.0% in Rapid (163 games).
How sharp is the Benko Gambit: Fianchetto Variation?
The Benko Gambit: Fianchetto Variation has a sharpness score of 94.5 (decisive), meaning 94.5% of games end decisively. Average game length is 36 moves.
What is the Benko Gambit: Fianchetto Variation win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, White wins 38.7%, draws 3.7% and loses 57.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 40.6%. It rests on 147 Lichess games, which average 31 moves.
What is the Benko Gambit: Fianchetto Variation win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, White wins 40.6%, draws 4.6% and loses 54.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 42.9%. It rests on 796 Lichess games, which average 34 moves.
What is the Benko Gambit: Fianchetto Variation win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, White wins 43.1%, draws 6.2% and loses 50.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.3%. It rests on 1.4K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.
What is the Benko Gambit: Fianchetto Variation win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, White wins 50.1%, draws 5.4% and loses 44.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.8%. It rests on 976 Lichess games, which average 39 moves.
What is the Benko Gambit: Fianchetto Variation win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, White wins 53.0%, draws 10.1% and loses 36.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 58.1%. It rests on 122 Lichess games, which average 43 moves.
What is the Benko Gambit: Fianchetto Variation win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, White wins 47.6%, draws 2.6% and loses 49.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.9%. It rests on 1.1K Lichess games.
What is the Benko Gambit: Fianchetto Variation win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, White wins 44.0%, draws 6.9% and loses 49.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.5%. It rests on 2.2K Lichess games.
What is the Benko Gambit: Fianchetto Variation win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, White wins 36.8%, draws 6.4% and loses 56.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 40.0%. It rests on 163 Lichess games.
Is the Benko Gambit: Fianchetto Variation a good opening?
The Benko Gambit: Fianchetto Variation is hard work for White — it favours Black. Across all ratings, White wins 44.6% of its games and loses 49.8%. It performs best at 2500+. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.