Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Traditional Variation
6.7K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · All ratings · All speeds
50.7%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 51.7%.
Measured over 6.7K games at this level and clock.
Roughly even — the middlegame decides more than this opening choice does.
Outcomes for White
Draw 4.7 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 6.7K games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 6.7K
- Best context
- 52.5% at 2000-2199 Bullet
- Worst context
- 50.2% at 1800-1999 Blitz
- Average game length
- 38 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 95.3%
- Draws
- 4.7%
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 falls away as the rating rises: 49.3% at 0-999, 39.8% 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: 27.8% expected score (3 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 55.7% expected score (16 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 63.4% expected score (6 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 28.9% expected score (34 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 61.1% expected score (30 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 60.6% expected score (8 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 54.2% expected score (95 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 53.8% expected score (103 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 43.1% expected score (13 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 50.0% expected score (178 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 48.3% expected score (374 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 49.1% expected score (51 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 72.3% expected score (3 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 52.3% expected score (364 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 50.2% expected score (988 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 54.7% expected score (169 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 44.2% expected score (7 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 52.5% expected score (528 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 50.3% expected score (1,547 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 49.3% expected score (210 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (8 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 50.7% expected score (588 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 51.4% expected score (937 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 51.1% expected score (135 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 49.5% expected score (203 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 49.5% expected score (104 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 2500+ rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Traditional Variation scores 50.7% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 49.7% and 51.7% — from 6.7K 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
- 6.7K+ 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: Classical Variation, Traditional Variation win rate?
Playing the Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Traditional Variation, White wins 48.3%, draws 4.7% and loses 46.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.7%. It rests on 6.7K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Traditional Variation perform best?
The Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Traditional Variation performs best for White at 1800-1999, with an Expected Score of 51.3% (1.5K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Traditional Variation better in blitz or rapid?
For White, the Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Traditional Variation scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 50.5% in Blitz (4.1K games) against 51.2% in Rapid (589 games).
How sharp is the Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Traditional Variation?
The Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Traditional Variation 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, Traditional Variation win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, White wins 51.3%, draws 3.5% and loses 45.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.1%. It rests on 212 Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Traditional Variation win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, White wins 47.2%, draws 3.2% and loses 49.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.8%. It rests on 608 Lichess games, which average 34 moves.
What is the Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Traditional Variation win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, White wins 49.3%, draws 3.9% and loses 46.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.3%. It rests on 1.5K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.
What is the Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Traditional Variation win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, White wins 48.3%, draws 4.7% and loses 47.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.7%. It rests on 2.3K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.
What is the Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Traditional Variation win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, White wins 48.2%, draws 5.9% and loses 46.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.1%. It rests on 1.7K Lichess games, which average 40 moves.
What is the Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Traditional Variation win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, White wins 45.2%, draws 7.9% and loses 46.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.2%. It rests on 309 Lichess games, which average 44 moves.
What is the Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Traditional Variation win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, White wins 49.3%, draws 3.6% and loses 47.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.1%. It rests on 2.0K Lichess games.
What is the Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Traditional Variation win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, White wins 47.9%, draws 5.1% and loses 46.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.5%. It rests on 4.1K Lichess games.
What is the Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Traditional Variation win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, White wins 48.2%, draws 6.0% and loses 45.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.2%. It rests on 589 Lichess games.
Is the Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Traditional Variation a good opening?
The Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Traditional Variation is about level. Across all ratings, White wins 48.3% of its games and loses 46.9%. It performs best at 1800-1999. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.