Skip to content
TrueEloPlay what wins.
Score a position

Benoni Defense

47 variations · 27M games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
h8
g
f
e
d
c
b
a
6...g6
Analyze this line move by move

Black expected score · Overall

49.6%

45%55%
Floor49.6%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. Its best is the same figure — the band is too tight to plot.

Measured over 27M 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 Black

Draw 3.7 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 27M games

Rank among the families Black can choose here
#11 of 62
Games in this context
27M
Best context
64.1% at 0-999 UltraBullet
Worst context
35.7% at 2500+ Rapid
Variations measured
47
Average game length
35 moves

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.

What to play from here

Black · Overall
#1Benoni Defense: Four Pawns AttackBest here
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.f4 Bg7 8.Nf3 O-O
Floor 51.5% · 49K games
51.8%
#2Benoni Defense: Czech Benoni Defense
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e5
Floor 51.0% · 131K games
51.3%
#3Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Czerniak Defense
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.Nf3 Bg7 8.Be2 O-O 9.O-O Re8
Floor 50.7% · 18K games
51.3%
#4Benoni Defense
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5
Floor 50.2% · 1.1M games
50.3%
#5Benoni Defense: Old Benoni
1.d4 c5
Floor 49.7% · 17M games
49.8%
#6Benoni Defense: Weenink Variation
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.dxc5 e6
Floor 49.3% · 49K games
49.6%
#7Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Argentine Counterattack
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 c5 4.d5 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.Nc3 g6 7.e4 Bg7 8.Be2 O-O 9.O-O a6 10.a4 Bg4
Floor 49.0% · 6.7K games
50.0%
#8Benoni Defense: Hromádka System
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 d6
Floor 48.8% · 739K games
48.9%
#9Benoni Defense: Benoni Gambit, Schlenker Defense
1.d4 c5 2.dxc5 Na6
Floor 48.8% · 41K games
49.2%
#10Benoni Defense: Modern Variation
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6
Floor 48.4% · 476K games
48.5%

These are the moves players actually choose from here, ranked by how they score. A higher score is a better bet on the numbers alone — familiarity and playstyle still matter.

Where it holds · Black score by rating × clock

Green is clearly ahead for Black, grey is around even, red is behind. Tap a cell to measure there, and again to clear. It falls away as the rating rises: 51.6% at 0-999, 38.3% 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, UltraBullet: 64.1% expected score (1,300 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 52.2% expected score (143,685 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 49.8% expected score (182,545 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 47.6% expected score (55,460 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 44.2% expected score (523 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 54.4% expected score (3,577 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 51.4% expected score (373,934 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 49.4% expected score (440,867 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 48.6% expected score (117,456 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 49.1% expected score (1,786 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 53.8% expected score (11,401 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 50.9% expected score (792,353 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 49.5% expected score (920,357 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 48.8% expected score (241,584 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 49.0% expected score (6,073 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 54.3% expected score (37,579 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 50.8% expected score (1,452,815 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 49.7% expected score (1,547,525 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 49.2% expected score (393,012 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 48.9% expected score (15,185 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 51.4% expected score (65,396 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 50.5% expected score (2,265,461 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 49.9% expected score (2,142,677 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 49.1% expected score (455,937 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 48.5% expected score (19,005 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 50.3% expected score (62,096 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 50.3% expected score (2,936,998 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (2,527,551 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 49.4% expected score (407,261 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 48.3% expected score (13,992 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 48.0% expected score (42,557 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 49.9% expected score (3,051,328 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 48.9% expected score (1,875,977 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 48.5% expected score (209,484 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 46.4% expected score (4,966 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 45.2% expected score (21,167 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 48.6% expected score (2,753,362 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 46.1% expected score (827,045 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 44.9% expected score (57,500 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 39.4% expected score (883 games)
  • 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 40.1% expected score (1,544 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 45.6% expected score (716,154 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 42.5% expected score (73,367 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 35.7% expected score (1,912 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 27.6% expected score (101 games)

47 variations · ranked by floor

Floor — the worst score you would still get, 90% confident.

1
Benoni Defense: Zilbermints-Benoni Gambit1.7K games
56.5%Floor 54.5%
2
Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Averbakh-Grivas Attack54K games
52.3%Floor 51.9%
3
Benoni Defense: Four Pawns Attack49K games
51.8%Floor 51.5%
Benoni Defense: Uhlmann Variation25K games
52.0%Floor 51.5%
Benoni Defense: Czech Benoni Defense131K games
51.3%Floor 51.0%
Benoni Defense: Classical Variation112K games
51.1%Floor 50.9%
Benoni Defense: Benoni Gambit Accepted3.5M games
50.9%Floor 50.8%
Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Czerniak Defense18K games
51.3%Floor 50.7%
Benoni Defense1.1M games
50.3%Floor 50.2%
Benoni Defense: Old Benoni17M games
49.8%Floor 49.7%
Benoni Defense: Weenink Variation49K games
49.6%Floor 49.3%
Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Main Line21K games
49.7%Floor 49.1%
Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Argentine Counterattack6.7K games
50.0%Floor 49.0%
Benoni Defense: Hromádka System739K games
48.9%Floor 48.8%
Benoni Defense: Benoni Gambit, Schlenker Defense41K games
49.2%Floor 48.8%
Benoni Defense: Pawn Storm Variation19K games
49.4%Floor 48.8%
Benoni Defense: Benoni-Indian Defense, Kingside Move Order229K games
48.6%Floor 48.5%
Benoni Defense: Modern Variation476K games
48.5%Floor 48.4%
Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Traditional Variation6.7K games
49.3%Floor 48.3%
Benoni Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Hastings Defense, Main Line11K games
49.1%Floor 48.3%
Benoni Defense: Semi-Benoni141K games
48.4%Floor 48.2%
Benoni Defense: King's Indian System25K games
48.5%Floor 48.0%
Benoni Defense: Old Benoni, Mujannah Formation45K games
48.3%Floor 48.0%
Benoni Defense: Benoni-Indian Defense416K games
48.0%Floor 47.9%
Benoni Defense: King's Pawn Line, with Be3734 games
50.7%Floor 47.7%
Benoni Defense: King's Pawn Line742K games
47.7%Floor 47.6%
Benoni Defense: French Benoni1.9M games
47.6%Floor 47.5%
Benoni Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Hastings Defense6.5K games
47.9%Floor 46.9%
Benoni Defense: Woozle14K games
47.5%Floor 46.8%
Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Full Line9.5K games
47.5%Floor 46.7%
Benoni Defense: Old Benoni, Schmid Variation57K games
46.9%Floor 46.6%
Benoni Defense: Franco-Sicilian Hybrid10K games
47.4%Floor 46.6%
Benoni Defense: Cormorant Gambit60K games
46.5%Floor 46.1%
Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Czerniak Defense, Tal Line19K games
46.7%Floor 46.1%
Benoni Defense: Fianchetto Variation56K games
46.3%Floor 46.0%
Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, New York Variation69K games
46.0%Floor 45.7%
Benoni Defense: Hawk Variation3.3K games
46.7%Floor 45.3%
Benoni Defense: Taimanov Variation46K games
45.0%Floor 44.6%
Benoni Defense: King's Pawn Line, with Bg56.2K games
45.6%Floor 44.6%
Benoni Defense: Snail Variation5.7K games
45.5%Floor 44.4%
Benoni Defense: Modern Variation, Snake Variation62K games
44.5%Floor 44.2%
Benoni Defense: Knight's Tour Variation26K games
44.7%Floor 44.2%
Benoni Defense: Benoni-Staunton Gambit3.8K games
44.8%Floor 43.5%
Benoni Defense: King's Pawn Line, with Nge21.4K games
45.6%Floor 43.5%
Benoni Defense: Hromádka System102 games
51.0%Floor 42.9%
Benoni Defense: Mikenas Variation11K games
41.8%Floor 41.0%
Benoni Defense: Four Pawns Attack, Main Line39K games
41.2%Floor 40.8%
Analyze Benoni Defense PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Benoni Defense family scores 49.6% for Black — we are 90% confident it is 49.6% — from 27M Lichess games across 47 variations. 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
27M+ 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 Benoni Defense win rate?

Across the Benoni Defense's 47 variations, Black wins 47.7%, draws 3.7% and loses 48.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.6%. It rests on 27M rated games from Lichess.

How many Benoni Defense variations are there?

47 Benoni Defense variations have a page of their own, each broken down by rating and by clock.

At what rating does the Benoni Defense perform best?

The Benoni Defense family performs best for Black at 0-999, with an Expected Score of 50.5% (384K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read. Performance may vary by specific variation.

Is the Benoni Defense better in blitz or rapid?

For Black, the Benoni Defense scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 49.3% in Blitz (11M games) against 48.9% in Rapid (1.9M games).

How sharp is the Benoni Defense?

Benoni Defense games are 96.3% decisive (non-draws), with an average length of 35 moves. Sharpness varies by specific variation.

Is the Benoni Defense a good opening family?

The Benoni Defense family is about level overall. Across its games, Black wins 47.7% and loses 48.6%. Results differ between its 47 variations, so open the one you play for its own figures.