Benoni Defense: Pawn Storm Variation
19K 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 51.3%.
Measured over 19K games at this level and clock.
Roughly even — the middlegame decides more than this opening choice does.
Outcomes for White
Draw 4.0 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 19K games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 19K
- Best context
- 53.2% at 2200-2499 Blitz
- Worst context
- 49.1% at 2200-2499 Bullet
- Average game length
- 35 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 96.0%
- Draws
- 4.0%
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: 34.5% at 0-999, 61.7% 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: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 37.1% expected score (14 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 64.3% expected score (9 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (3 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 50.0% expected score (79 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 39.3% expected score (31 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 67.7% expected score (7 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 51.9% expected score (234 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 48.7% expected score (228 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 62.2% expected score (19 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 51.7% expected score (699 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (960 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 51.3% expected score (111 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 58.7% expected score (10 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 50.3% expected score (1,412 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 49.5% expected score (3,513 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 50.7% expected score (451 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 47.9% expected score (22 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 52.0% expected score (1,846 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 49.6% expected score (3,970 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 52.9% expected score (694 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 41.9% expected score (17 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 49.1% expected score (1,882 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 53.2% expected score (1,765 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 52.3% expected score (221 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 73.1% expected score (5 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 56.1% expected score (452 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 57.8% expected score (128 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 71.1% expected score (8 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Benoni Defense: Pawn Storm Variation scores 50.7% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 50.1% and 51.3% — from 19K 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
- 19K+ 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: Pawn Storm Variation win rate?
Playing the Benoni Defense: Pawn Storm Variation, White wins 48.6%, draws 4.0% and loses 47.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.7%. It rests on 19K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Benoni Defense: Pawn Storm Variation perform best?
The Benoni Defense: Pawn Storm Variation performs best for White at 2500+, with an Expected Score of 56.8% (588 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Benoni Defense: Pawn Storm Variation better in blitz or rapid?
For White, the Benoni Defense: Pawn Storm Variation scores higher in Rapid: an Expected Score of 50.2% in Blitz (11K games) against 52.4% in Rapid (1.5K games).
How sharp is the Benoni Defense: Pawn Storm Variation?
The Benoni Defense: Pawn Storm Variation has a sharpness score of 96.0 (very decisive), meaning 96.0% of games end decisively. Average game length is 35 moves.
What is the Benoni Defense: Pawn Storm Variation win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, White wins 47.7%, draws 1.3% and loses 51.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.3%. It rests on 117 Lichess games, which average 28 moves.
What is the Benoni Defense: Pawn Storm Variation win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, White wins 49.6%, draws 2.4% and loses 48.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.8%. It rests on 483 Lichess games, which average 30 moves.
What is the Benoni Defense: Pawn Storm Variation win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, White wins 49.6%, draws 2.3% and loses 48.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.8%. It rests on 1.8K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.
What is the Benoni Defense: Pawn Storm Variation win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, White wins 48.0%, draws 3.5% and loses 48.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.8%. It rests on 5.4K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.
What is the Benoni Defense: Pawn Storm Variation win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, White wins 48.5%, draws 4.1% and loses 47.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.6%. It rests on 6.5K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.
What is the Benoni Defense: Pawn Storm Variation win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, White wins 48.5%, draws 5.2% and loses 46.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.1%. It rests on 3.9K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.
What is the Benoni Defense: Pawn Storm Variation win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, White wins 53.4%, draws 6.7% and loses 39.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.8%. It rests on 588 Lichess games, which average 40 moves.
What is the Benoni Defense: Pawn Storm Variation win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, White 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 6.6K Lichess games.
What is the Benoni Defense: Pawn Storm Variation win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, White wins 48.1%, draws 4.2% and loses 47.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.2%. It rests on 11K Lichess games.
What is the Benoni Defense: Pawn Storm Variation win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, White wins 49.5%, draws 5.6% and loses 44.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.4%. It rests on 1.5K Lichess games.
Is the Benoni Defense: Pawn Storm Variation a good opening?
The Benoni Defense: Pawn Storm Variation is about level. Across all ratings, White wins 48.6% of its games and loses 47.3%. It performs best at 2500+. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.