Benoni Defense: Czech Benoni Defense
131K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds
51.3%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 51.5%.
Measured over 131K games at this level and clock.
Roughly even — the middlegame decides more than this opening choice does.
Outcomes for Black
Draw 4.5 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 131K games
- Rank among the families Black can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 131K
- Best context
- 53.6% at 2000-2199 Bullet
- Worst context
- 43.3% at 2500+ Blitz
- Average game length
- 37 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 95.5%
- Draws
- 4.5%
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 · 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 holds about the same all the way up, near 50.3%.
| 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: 45.9% expected score (143 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 52.2% expected score (229 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 52.7% expected score (36 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 51.7% expected score (349 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 46.3% expected score (784 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 40.3% expected score (231 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 16.7% expected score (3 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 68.2% expected score (4 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 46.9% expected score (721 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 47.8% expected score (1,585 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 45.1% expected score (535 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 46.8% expected score (14 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 46.6% expected score (13 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 49.8% expected score (1,828 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 48.6% expected score (2,976 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 48.6% expected score (947 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 49.1% expected score (53 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 64.3% expected score (23 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 51.1% expected score (3,395 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 51.6% expected score (7,060 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 48.3% expected score (1,731 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 47.1% expected score (100 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 60.2% expected score (28 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 52.5% expected score (6,554 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 53.1% expected score (16,084 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 51.8% expected score (2,750 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 51.8% expected score (140 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 57.1% expected score (55 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 53.6% expected score (9,164 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 53.5% expected score (25,954 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 51.6% expected score (2,763 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 48.5% expected score (93 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 59.7% expected score (76 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 50.3% expected score (13,238 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 49.9% expected score (22,455 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 45.8% expected score (1,306 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 42.2% expected score (24 games)
- 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 68.2% expected score (4 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 49.1% expected score (4,588 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 43.3% expected score (2,900 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 29.7% expected score (33 games)
- 2500+ rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Benoni Defense: Czech Benoni Defense scores 51.3% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 51.0% and 51.5% — from 131K 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
- 131K+ 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: Czech Benoni Defense win rate?
Playing the Benoni Defense: Czech Benoni Defense, Black wins 49.0%, draws 4.5% and loses 46.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.3%. It rests on 131K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Benoni Defense: Czech Benoni Defense perform best?
The Benoni Defense: Czech Benoni Defense performs best for Black at 2000-2199, with an Expected Score of 53.3% (38K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Benoni Defense: Czech Benoni Defense better in blitz or rapid?
For Black, the Benoni Defense: Czech Benoni Defense scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 51.5% in Blitz (80K games) against 49.4% in Rapid (10K games).
How sharp is the Benoni Defense: Czech Benoni Defense?
The Benoni Defense: Czech Benoni Defense has a sharpness score of 95.5 (very decisive), meaning 95.5% of games end decisively. Average game length is 37 moves.
What is the Benoni Defense: Czech Benoni Defense win rate at 0-999?
At 0-999, Black wins 48.5%, draws 3.1% and loses 48.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.0%. It rests on 408 Lichess games, which average 27 moves.
What is the Benoni Defense: Czech Benoni Defense win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, Black wins 45.5%, draws 2.2% and loses 52.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.6%. It rests on 1.4K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.
What is the Benoni Defense: Czech Benoni Defense win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, Black wins 45.6%, draws 3.0% and loses 51.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.1%. It rests on 2.9K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.
What is the Benoni Defense: Czech Benoni Defense win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, Black wins 47.5%, draws 2.9% and loses 49.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.0%. It rests on 5.8K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.
What is the Benoni Defense: Czech Benoni Defense win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, Black wins 49.3%, draws 3.3% and loses 47.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.0%. It rests on 12K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.
What is the Benoni Defense: Czech Benoni Defense win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, Black wins 50.9%, draws 3.9% and loses 45.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.8%. It rests on 26K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.
What is the Benoni Defense: Czech Benoni Defense win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, Black wins 51.0%, draws 4.6% and loses 44.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.3%. It rests on 38K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.
What is the Benoni Defense: Czech Benoni Defense win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, Black wins 47.2%, draws 5.4% and loses 47.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.9%. It rests on 37K Lichess games, which average 39 moves.
What is the Benoni Defense: Czech Benoni Defense win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, Black wins 44.0%, draws 5.5% and loses 50.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.8%. It rests on 7.5K Lichess games, which average 42 moves.
What is the Benoni Defense: Czech Benoni Defense win rate in UltraBullet?
In UltraBullet, Black wins 58.4%, draws 2.2% and loses 39.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 59.5%. It rests on 203 Lichess games.
What is the Benoni Defense: Czech Benoni Defense win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, Black wins 49.7%, draws 3.0% and loses 47.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.2%. It rests on 40K Lichess games.
What is the Benoni Defense: Czech Benoni Defense win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, Black wins 49.0%, draws 4.9% and loses 46.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.5%. It rests on 80K Lichess games.
What is the Benoni Defense: Czech Benoni Defense win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, Black wins 46.4%, draws 6.0% and loses 47.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.4%. It rests on 10K Lichess games.
What is the Benoni Defense: Czech Benoni Defense win rate in Classical?
In Classical, Black wins 44.1%, draws 9.0% and loses 46.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.6%. It rests on 428 Lichess games.
Is the Benoni Defense: Czech Benoni Defense a good opening?
The Benoni Defense: Czech Benoni Defense is about level. Across all ratings, Black wins 49.0% of its games and loses 46.5%. It performs best at 2000-2199. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.