Benko Gambit: Nescafe Frappe Attack
3.2K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · All ratings · All speeds
57.9%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 59.3%.
Measured over 3.2K games at this level and clock.
A strong choice for White at this level and clock.
Outcomes for White
Draw 4.4 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 3.2K games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 3.2K
- Best context
- 60.5% at 2200-2499 Blitz
- Worst context
- 56.2% at 2000-2199 Blitz
- Average game length
- 32 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 95.6%
- Draws
- 4.4%
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.
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 1200-1399, 55.0% 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: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 50.0% expected score (31 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 45.3% expected score (9 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 63.4% expected score (6 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 58.3% expected score (65 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 61.8% expected score (134 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 42.4% expected score (5 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 60.2% expected score (382 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 56.2% expected score (935 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 49.2% expected score (57 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 54.8% expected score (386 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 60.5% expected score (898 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 55.8% expected score (68 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 54.9% expected score (91 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 60.2% expected score (141 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Benko Gambit: Nescafe Frappe Attack scores 57.9% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 56.4% and 59.3% — from 3.2K 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
- 3.2K+ 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: Nescafe Frappe Attack win rate?
Playing the Benko Gambit: Nescafe Frappe Attack, White wins 55.7%, draws 4.4% and loses 40.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.9%. It rests on 3.2K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Benko Gambit: Nescafe Frappe Attack perform best?
The Benko Gambit: Nescafe Frappe Attack performs best for White at 2200-2499, with an Expected Score of 58.7% (1.4K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Benko Gambit: Nescafe Frappe Attack better in blitz or rapid?
For White, the Benko Gambit: Nescafe Frappe Attack scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 58.6% in Blitz (2.1K games) against 52.9% in Rapid (139 games).
How sharp is the Benko Gambit: Nescafe Frappe Attack?
The Benko Gambit: Nescafe Frappe Attack has a sharpness score of 95.6 (very decisive), meaning 95.6% of games end decisively. Average game length is 32 moves.
What is the Benko Gambit: Nescafe Frappe Attack win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, White wins 59.6%, draws 1.2% and loses 39.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 60.2%. It rests on 204 Lichess games, which average 27 moves.
What is the Benko Gambit: Nescafe Frappe Attack win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, White wins 54.7%, draws 4.6% and loses 40.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.0%. It rests on 1.4K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.
What is the Benko Gambit: Nescafe Frappe Attack win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, White wins 56.3%, draws 4.7% and loses 39.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 58.7%. It rests on 1.4K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the Benko Gambit: Nescafe Frappe Attack win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, White wins 55.8%, draws 4.5% and loses 39.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 58.1%. It rests on 234 Lichess games, which average 38 moves.
What is the Benko Gambit: Nescafe Frappe Attack win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, White wins 55.5%, draws 3.0% and loses 41.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.0%. It rests on 958 Lichess games.
What is the Benko Gambit: Nescafe Frappe Attack win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, White wins 56.1%, draws 5.0% and loses 38.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 58.6%. It rests on 2.1K Lichess games.
What is the Benko Gambit: Nescafe Frappe Attack win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, White wins 50.2%, draws 5.3% and loses 44.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.9%. It rests on 139 Lichess games.
Is the Benko Gambit: Nescafe Frappe Attack a good opening?
The Benko Gambit: Nescafe Frappe Attack is good for White. Across all ratings, White wins 55.7% of its games and loses 40.0%. It performs best at 2200-2499. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.