Benoni Defense: Knight's Tour Variation
26K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · All ratings · All speeds
55.4%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 55.9%.
Measured over 26K games at this level and clock.
A strong choice for White at this level and clock.
Outcomes for White
Draw 5.1 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 26K games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 26K
- Best context
- 58.6% at 2500+ Blitz
- Worst context
- 53.1% at 2000-2199 Blitz
- Average game length
- 38 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 94.9%
- Draws
- 5.1%
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 gets better as the rating rises: 47.1% at 1000-1199, 60.9% 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
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 64.3% expected score (2 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 50.0% expected score (12 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 62.2% expected score (19 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 68.2% expected score (4 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 78.6% expected score (2 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 58.0% expected score (105 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 49.5% expected score (103 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 60.9% expected score (17 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 57.0% expected score (594 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 54.2% expected score (1,043 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 58.4% expected score (94 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 38.9% expected score (12 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 57.1% expected score (1,271 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 53.1% expected score (4,519 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 57.2% expected score (353 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 42.8% expected score (26 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 55.0% expected score (3,343 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 55.9% expected score (9,383 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 55.4% expected score (623 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 61.8% expected score (7 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 54.5% expected score (2,619 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 58.6% expected score (1,690 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 69.7% expected score (29 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Benoni Defense: Knight's Tour Variation scores 55.4% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 54.9% and 55.9% — from 26K 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
- 26K+ 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: Knight's Tour Variation win rate?
Playing the Benoni Defense: Knight's Tour Variation, White wins 52.8%, draws 5.1% and loses 42.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.4%. It rests on 26K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Benoni Defense: Knight's Tour Variation perform best?
The Benoni Defense: Knight's Tour Variation performs best for White at 2200-2499, with an Expected Score of 55.7% (13K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Benoni Defense: Knight's Tour Variation better in blitz or rapid?
For White, the Benoni Defense: Knight's Tour Variation scores higher in Rapid: an Expected Score of 55.3% in Blitz (17K games) against 56.9% in Rapid (1.1K games).
How sharp is the Benoni Defense: Knight's Tour Variation?
The Benoni Defense: Knight's Tour Variation has a sharpness score of 94.9 (decisive), meaning 94.9% of games end decisively. Average game length is 38 moves.
What is the Benoni Defense: Knight's Tour Variation win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, White wins 52.3%, draws 4.2% and loses 43.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.4%. It rests on 227 Lichess games, which average 32 moves.
What is the Benoni Defense: Knight's Tour Variation win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, White wins 53.3%, draws 4.0% and loses 42.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.3%. It rests on 1.7K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the Benoni Defense: Knight's Tour Variation win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, White wins 52.2%, draws 3.9% and loses 43.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.2%. It rests on 6.2K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.
What is the Benoni Defense: Knight's Tour Variation win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, White wins 53.0%, draws 5.4% and loses 41.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.7%. It rests on 13K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.
What is the Benoni Defense: Knight's Tour Variation win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, White wins 53.0%, draws 6.4% and loses 40.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.2%. It rests on 4.3K Lichess games, which average 42 moves.
What is the Benoni Defense: Knight's Tour Variation win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, White wins 53.4%, draws 3.8% and loses 42.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.4%. It rests on 7.9K Lichess games.
What is the Benoni Defense: Knight's Tour Variation win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, White wins 52.5%, draws 5.5% and loses 41.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.3%. It rests on 17K Lichess games.
What is the Benoni Defense: Knight's Tour Variation win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, White wins 53.4%, draws 6.9% and loses 39.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.9%. It rests on 1.1K Lichess games.
Is the Benoni Defense: Knight's Tour Variation a good opening?
The Benoni Defense: Knight's Tour Variation is good for White. Across all ratings, White wins 52.8% of its games and loses 42.1%. It performs best at 2200-2499. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.