Benoni Defense: Old Benoni
17M games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds
49.8%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. Its best is the same figure — the band is too tight to plot.
Measured over 17M games at this level and clock.
Roughly even — the middlegame decides more than this opening choice does.
Outcomes for Black
Draw 3.6 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 17M games
- Rank among the families Black can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 17M
- Best context
- 63.3% at 0-999 UltraBullet
- Worst context
- 39.9% at 2500+ UltraBullet
- Average game length
- 35 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 96.4%
- Draws
- 3.6%
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 falls away as the rating rises: 51.2% at 0-999, 35.8% 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, UltraBullet: 63.3% expected score (1,004 games)
- 0-999 rating, Bullet: 51.4% expected score (78,680 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (85,430 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 47.8% expected score (26,769 games)
- 0-999 rating, Classical: 43.3% expected score (283 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 54.1% expected score (2,904 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 51.2% expected score (216,043 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 49.8% expected score (203,066 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 48.9% expected score (53,553 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 48.4% expected score (869 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 53.7% expected score (9,850 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 50.9% expected score (488,725 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 49.8% expected score (444,440 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 49.4% expected score (110,218 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 47.7% expected score (2,814 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 54.2% expected score (33,084 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 51.0% expected score (958,560 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (787,604 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 49.6% expected score (183,966 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 48.6% expected score (7,323 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 51.5% expected score (60,333 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 50.7% expected score (1,577,437 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 49.9% expected score (1,151,595 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 49.1% expected score (213,334 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 48.5% expected score (9,014 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 50.5% expected score (57,210 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 50.5% expected score (2,137,328 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 49.8% expected score (1,405,379 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 49.1% expected score (193,082 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 48.2% expected score (6,186 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 48.4% expected score (38,409 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 50.2% expected score (2,269,760 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 48.7% expected score (995,000 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 47.6% expected score (91,637 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 44.9% expected score (1,788 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 45.2% expected score (18,259 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 48.9% expected score (2,048,627 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 46.2% expected score (359,766 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 44.6% expected score (18,397 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 44.6% expected score (218 games)
- 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 39.9% expected score (1,142 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 45.9% expected score (489,031 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 42.3% expected score (21,092 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 39.9% expected score (434 games)
- 2500+ rating, Classical: 11.2% expected score (23 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Benoni Defense: Old Benoni scores 49.8% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 49.7% and 49.8% — from 17M 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
- 17M+ 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: Old Benoni win rate?
Playing the Benoni Defense: Old Benoni, Black wins 47.9%, draws 3.6% and loses 48.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.8%. It rests on 17M rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Benoni Defense: Old Benoni perform best?
The Benoni Defense: Old Benoni performs best for Black at 1400-1599, with an Expected Score of 50.5% (2.0M games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Benoni Defense: Old Benoni better in blitz or rapid?
For Black, the Benoni Defense: Old Benoni scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 49.4% in Blitz (5.5M games) against 48.9% in Rapid (891K games).
How sharp is the Benoni Defense: Old Benoni?
The Benoni Defense: Old Benoni has a sharpness score of 96.4 (very decisive), meaning 96.4% of games end decisively. Average game length is 35 moves.
What is the Benoni Defense: Old Benoni win rate at 0-999?
At 0-999, Black wins 49.0%, draws 2.6% and loses 48.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.3%. It rests on 192K Lichess games, which average 25 moves.
What is the Benoni Defense: Old Benoni win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, Black wins 49.2%, draws 2.3% and loses 48.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.4%. It rests on 476K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.
What is the Benoni Defense: Old Benoni win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, Black wins 49.1%, draws 2.4% and loses 48.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.3%. It rests on 1.1M Lichess games, which average 30 moves.
What is the Benoni Defense: Old Benoni win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, Black wins 49.2%, draws 2.6% and loses 48.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.5%. It rests on 2.0M Lichess games, which average 31 moves.
What is the Benoni Defense: Old Benoni win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, Black wins 48.8%, draws 3.1% and loses 48.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.3%. It rests on 3.0M Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the Benoni Defense: Old Benoni win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, Black wins 48.4%, draws 3.6% and loses 48.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.2%. It rests on 3.8M Lichess games, which average 35 moves.
What is the Benoni Defense: Old Benoni win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, Black wins 47.5%, draws 4.2% and loses 48.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.6%. It rests on 3.4M Lichess games, which average 37 moves.
What is the Benoni Defense: Old Benoni win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, Black wins 46.0%, draws 4.8% and loses 49.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.4%. It rests on 2.4M Lichess games, which average 38 moves.
What is the Benoni Defense: Old Benoni win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, Black wins 42.6%, draws 6.2% and loses 51.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.7%. It rests on 512K Lichess games, which average 42 moves.
What is the Benoni Defense: Old Benoni win rate in UltraBullet?
In UltraBullet, Black wins 49.4%, draws 2.5% and loses 48.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.7%. It rests on 222K Lichess games.
What is the Benoni Defense: Old Benoni win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, Black wins 48.4%, draws 3.2% and loses 48.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.0%. It rests on 10M Lichess games.
What is the Benoni Defense: Old Benoni win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, Black wins 47.2%, draws 4.4% and loses 48.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.4%. It rests on 5.5M Lichess games.
What is the Benoni Defense: Old Benoni win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, Black wins 46.6%, draws 4.6% and loses 48.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.9%. It rests on 891K Lichess games.
What is the Benoni Defense: Old Benoni win rate in Classical?
In Classical, Black wins 45.2%, draws 5.7% and loses 49.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.1%. It rests on 29K Lichess games.
Is the Benoni Defense: Old Benoni a good opening?
The Benoni Defense: Old Benoni is about level. Across all ratings, Black wins 47.9% of its games and loses 48.4%. It performs best at 1400-1599. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.