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Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Main Line

21K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

Playable
White Expected Score50.4%Range (90% confident): 49.8% – 50.9%Based on 21K games
0%50.4%100%
Range (90% confident): 49.8% – 50.9%
Outcome Distribution
48.0%4.7%47.3%
Win
Draw
Loss
9.O-O
Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Main Line
Analyzen=21K
Avg Length38 moves
Sharpness95%
Draw Rate4.7%

What is the Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Main Line expected score for White?

Snapshot

At all ratings, the Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Main Line has a 50.4% expected score for White (we're 90% confident it's between 49.8% and 50.9%), based on 21K Lichess games.

White Win% by Rating

Declines with rating: 54% → 48%

0
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
2200
2500+

  • 0-999: 54.4% win rate (27 games)
  • 1000-1199: 45.9% win rate (113 games)
  • 1200-1399: 50.4% win rate (283 games)
  • 1400-1599: 46.0% win rate (813 games)
  • 1600-1799: 48.5% win rate (1,687 games)
  • 1800-1999: 47.5% win rate (3,821 games)
  • 2000-2199: 47.8% win rate (6,603 games)
  • 2200-2499: 48.4% win rate (6,450 games)
  • 2500+: 48.1% win rate (1,504 games)

White Win% by Time Control

Best in UltraBullet (49%), worst in Classical (37%)

UltraBullet
Bullet
Blitz
Rapid
Classical

  • UltraBullet: 49.4% win rate (40 games)
  • Bullet: 48.8% win rate (7,309 games)
  • Blitz: 47.6% win rate (12,315 games)
  • Rapid: 47.5% win rate (1,569 games)
  • Classical: 36.7% win rate (68 games)

White% by Rating × Time Control

Click any cell to filter. Green = above 50%, Red = below 50%.

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: 74.2% expected score (13 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 32.8% expected score (13 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 38.7% expected score (65 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 59.4% expected score (41 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 61.8% expected score (7 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 50.4% expected score (124 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (126 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 60.2% expected score (33 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 52.9% expected score (277 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 43.3% expected score (441 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 50.6% expected score (91 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 16.7% expected score (3 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 68.2% expected score (4 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 50.6% expected score (552 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 49.2% expected score (939 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 51.4% expected score (181 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 38.0% expected score (11 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 50.3% expected score (1,064 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 49.7% expected score (2,312 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 48.7% expected score (421 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 52.1% expected score (22 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 42.4% expected score (5 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 51.1% expected score (1,630 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 50.1% expected score (4,437 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 48.6% expected score (507 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 40.2% expected score (24 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 51.7% expected score (28 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 50.1% expected score (2,429 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 51.9% expected score (3,670 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 53.2% expected score (315 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (8 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 50.8% expected score (1,155 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 52.7% expected score (336 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 53.5% expected score (13 games)

Related Openings

Parent
Benoni Defense
47.5%
Variations (5)
Benoni Defense: Benoni Gambit Accepted
47.4%
Benoni Defense: Benoni Gambit, Schlenker Defense
48.7%
Benoni Defense: Benoni-Indian Defense
50.1%
Benoni Defense: Benoni-Indian Defense, Kingside Move Order
49.0%
Benoni Defense: Benoni-Staunton Gambit
53.5%
Analyze Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Main Line PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Main Line win rate?

The Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Main Line has a 48.0% (90% CI: 47.4%-48.5%) win rate for white, based on 21K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Main Line perform best?

The Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Main Line performs best at 2200-2499 Elo with a 48.4% win rate for white (6.5K games). Win rate tends to decline at higher ratings as opponents know the theory better.

Is the Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Main Line better in blitz or rapid?

Bullet (48.8%) outperforms Classical (36.7%) by 12.1%. Choose your time control wisely.

How sharp is the Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Main Line?

The Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Main Line has a sharpness score of 95.3 (very decisive), meaning 95.3% of games end decisively. Average game length is 38 moves.

What is the Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Main Line win rate at 1000-1199 Elo?

At 1000-1199 Elo, the Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Main Line has a 45.9% (90% CI: 38.3%-53.5%) win rate for white, based on 113 Lichess games. Average game length is 29 moves with a 3.9% draw rate.

What is the Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Main Line win rate at 1200-1399 Elo?

At 1200-1399 Elo, the Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Main Line has a 50.4% (90% CI: 45.6%-55.3%) win rate for white, based on 283 Lichess games. Average game length is 31 moves with a 1.9% draw rate.

What is the Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Main Line win rate at 1400-1599 Elo?

At 1400-1599 Elo, the Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Main Line has a 46.0% (90% CI: 43.1%-48.9%) win rate for white, based on 813 Lichess games. Average game length is 33 moves with a 2.4% draw rate.

What is the Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Main Line win rate at 1600-1799 Elo?

At 1600-1799 Elo, the Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Main Line has a 48.5% (90% CI: 46.5%-50.5%) win rate for white, based on 1.7K Lichess games. Average game length is 34 moves with a 2.7% draw rate.

What is the Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Main Line win rate at 1800-1999 Elo?

At 1800-1999 Elo, the Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Main Line has a 47.5% (90% CI: 46.2%-48.9%) win rate for white, based on 3.8K Lichess games. Average game length is 36 moves with a 4.4% draw rate.

What is the Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Main Line win rate at 2000-2199 Elo?

At 2000-2199 Elo, the Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Main Line has a 47.8% (90% CI: 46.8%-48.8%) win rate for white, based on 6.6K Lichess games. Average game length is 38 moves with a 4.7% draw rate.

What is the Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Main Line win rate at 2200-2499 Elo?

At 2200-2499 Elo, the Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Main Line has a 48.4% (90% CI: 47.4%-49.4%) win rate for white, based on 6.5K Lichess games. Average game length is 40 moves with a 5.7% draw rate.

What is the Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Main Line win rate at 2500+ Elo?

At 2500+ Elo, the Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Main Line has a 48.1% (90% CI: 45.9%-50.2%) win rate for white, based on 1.5K Lichess games. Average game length is 42 moves with a 6.3% draw rate.

What is the Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Main Line win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet games, the Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Main Line has a 48.8% (90% CI: 47.9%-49.8%) win rate for white (7.3K Lichess games). Draw rate is 3.4%.

What is the Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Main Line win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz games, the Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Main Line has a 47.6% (90% CI: 46.8%-48.3%) win rate for white (12K Lichess games). Draw rate is 5.4%.

What is the Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Main Line win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid games, the Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Main Line has a 47.5% (90% CI: 45.5%-49.6%) win rate for white (1.6K Lichess games). Draw rate is 5.7%.

Is the Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Main Line a good opening?

The Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Main Line is statistically balanced with a 48.0% (90% CI: 47.4%-48.5%) win rate across all ratings. It performs best at 2200-2499 Elo. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.