Benoni Defense: King's Pawn Line
742K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · All ratings · All speeds
52.4%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 52.5%.
Measured over 742K games at this level and clock.
A strong choice for White at this level and clock.
Outcomes for White
Draw 3.2 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 742K games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 742K
- Best context
- 58.9% at 2500+ Blitz
- Worst context
- 49.2% at 1000-1199 Bullet
- Average game length
- 36 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 96.8%
- Draws
- 3.2%
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 · 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: 45.0% at 0-999, 59.2% 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, UltraBullet: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
- 0-999 rating, Bullet: 49.5% expected score (887 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 50.6% expected score (526 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 58.2% expected score (66 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 46.6% expected score (13 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 49.2% expected score (4,343 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 53.0% expected score (2,703 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 59.4% expected score (387 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 35.7% expected score (2 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 47.3% expected score (91 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 51.6% expected score (13,326 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 51.7% expected score (10,357 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 54.8% expected score (1,427 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 62.9% expected score (18 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 54.1% expected score (632 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 51.8% expected score (33,972 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 52.4% expected score (31,086 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 52.8% expected score (4,352 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 45.7% expected score (161 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 59.7% expected score (448 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 52.1% expected score (60,324 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 51.4% expected score (61,837 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 51.2% expected score (9,997 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 58.1% expected score (428 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 57.2% expected score (390 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 52.5% expected score (86,979 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 50.8% expected score (95,836 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 51.2% expected score (15,503 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 50.2% expected score (577 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 68.3% expected score (411 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 53.4% expected score (88,213 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 51.9% expected score (78,951 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 49.9% expected score (11,336 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 51.2% expected score (339 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 55.7% expected score (367 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 54.0% expected score (69,249 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 54.3% expected score (34,469 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 54.3% expected score (3,244 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 56.8% expected score (50 games)
- 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 61.1% expected score (30 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 55.3% expected score (15,922 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 58.9% expected score (2,438 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 61.6% expected score (76 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Benoni Defense: King's Pawn Line scores 52.4% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 52.3% and 52.5% — from 742K 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
- 742K+ 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 before we will say where it stops working. The chaos and trap lists need 500 games.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Benoni Defense: King's Pawn Line win rate?
The Benoni Defense: King's Pawn Line scores 52.4% (range, 90% confident: 52.3% – 52.5%) for White, based on 742K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Benoni Defense: King's Pawn Line perform best?
The Benoni Defense: King's Pawn Line performs best at 2500+, where it scores 55.8% for White (18K games). It tends to score less at higher ratings as opponents know the theory better.
Is the Benoni Defense: King's Pawn Line better in blitz or rapid?
For White, UltraBullet (58.1%) outperforms Classical (52.4%). Choose your time control wisely.
How sharp is the Benoni Defense: King's Pawn Line?
The Benoni Defense: King's Pawn Line has a sharpness score of 96.8 (very decisive), meaning 96.8% of games end decisively. Average game length is 36 moves.
What is the Benoni Defense: King's Pawn Line win rate at 0-999?
At 0-999, the Benoni Defense: King's Pawn Line scores 50.2% (range, 90% confident: 48.1% – 52.3%) for White, based on 1.5K Lichess games. Average game length is 25 moves with a 1.6% draw rate.
What is the Benoni Defense: King's Pawn Line win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, the Benoni Defense: King's Pawn Line scores 51.1% (range, 90% confident: 50.1% – 52.0%) for White, based on 7.4K Lichess games. Average game length is 28 moves with a 1.7% draw rate.
What is the Benoni Defense: King's Pawn Line win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, the Benoni Defense: King's Pawn Line scores 51.8% (range, 90% confident: 51.3% – 52.3%) for White, based on 25K Lichess games. Average game length is 30 moves with a 2.0% draw rate.
What is the Benoni Defense: King's Pawn Line win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, the Benoni Defense: King's Pawn Line scores 52.1% (range, 90% confident: 51.8% – 52.4%) for White, based on 70K Lichess games. Average game length is 32 moves with a 2.3% draw rate.
What is the Benoni Defense: King's Pawn Line win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, the Benoni Defense: King's Pawn Line scores 51.8% (range, 90% confident: 51.5% – 52.0%) for White, based on 133K Lichess games. Average game length is 34 moves with a 2.6% draw rate.
What is the Benoni Defense: King's Pawn Line win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, the Benoni Defense: King's Pawn Line scores 51.6% (range, 90% confident: 51.4% – 51.8%) for White, based on 199K Lichess games. Average game length is 36 moves with a 3.1% draw rate.
What is the Benoni Defense: King's Pawn Line win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, the Benoni Defense: King's Pawn Line scores 52.5% (range, 90% confident: 52.3% – 52.7%) for White, based on 179K Lichess games. Average game length is 37 moves with a 3.6% draw rate.
What is the Benoni Defense: King's Pawn Line win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, the Benoni Defense: King's Pawn Line scores 54.1% (range, 90% confident: 53.8% – 54.3%) for White, based on 107K Lichess games. Average game length is 39 moves with a 4.4% draw rate.
What is the Benoni Defense: King's Pawn Line win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, the Benoni Defense: King's Pawn Line scores 55.8% (range, 90% confident: 55.2% – 56.4%) for White, based on 18K Lichess games. Average game length is 42 moves with a 5.5% draw rate.
What is the Benoni Defense: King's Pawn Line win rate in UltraBullet?
In UltraBullet games, the Benoni Defense: King's Pawn Line scores 58.1% (range, 90% confident: 56.5% – 59.8%) for White (2.4K Lichess games). Draw rate is 2.1%.
What is the Benoni Defense: King's Pawn Line win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet games, the Benoni Defense: King's Pawn Line scores 52.9% (range, 90% confident: 52.8% – 53.1%) for White (373K Lichess games). Draw rate is 2.4%.
What is the Benoni Defense: King's Pawn Line win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz games, the Benoni Defense: King's Pawn Line scores 51.8% (range, 90% confident: 51.7% – 52.0%) for White (318K Lichess games). Draw rate is 3.9%.
What is the Benoni Defense: King's Pawn Line win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid games, the Benoni Defense: King's Pawn Line scores 51.5% (range, 90% confident: 51.1% – 51.9%) for White (46K Lichess games). Draw rate is 4.8%.
What is the Benoni Defense: King's Pawn Line win rate in Classical?
In Classical games, the Benoni Defense: King's Pawn Line scores 52.4% (range, 90% confident: 50.4% – 54.5%) for White (1.6K Lichess games). Draw rate is 7.2%.
Is the Benoni Defense: King's Pawn Line a good opening?
The Benoni Defense: King's Pawn Line is good for White with a 50.7% (range, 90% confident: 50.6% – 50.8%) win rate across all ratings. It performs best at 2500+. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.