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Analyzer

Benoni Defense: Snail Variation

5.7K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

Tough Sell
Black Expected Score45.5%Range (90% confident): 44.4% – 46.6%Based on 5.7K games
0%45.5%100%
Range (90% confident): 44.4% – 46.6%
Outcome Distribution
43.7%3.5%52.8%
Win
Draw
Loss
2...Na6
Benoni Defense: Snail Variation
Analyzen=5.7K
Avg Length33 moves
Sharpness97%
Draw Rate3.5%

What is the Benoni Defense: Snail Variation expected score for Black?

Snapshot

At all ratings, the Benoni Defense: Snail Variation has a 45.5% expected score for Black (we're 90% confident it's between 44.4% and 46.6%), based on 5.7K Lichess games.

Black Win% by Rating

Improves with rating: 40% → 51%

0
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
2200
2500+

  • 0-999: 40.0% win rate (242 games)
  • 1000-1199: 41.5% win rate (368 games)
  • 1200-1399: 41.0% win rate (646 games)
  • 1400-1599: 41.8% win rate (995 games)
  • 1600-1799: 44.2% win rate (1,098 games)
  • 1800-1999: 45.5% win rate (1,462 games)
  • 2000-2199: 45.9% win rate (586 games)
  • 2200-2499: 45.7% win rate (212 games)
  • 2500+: 51.3% win rate (56 games)

Black Win% by Time Control

Best in Bullet (47%), worst in UltraBullet (25%)

UltraBullet
Bullet
Blitz
Rapid
Classical

  • UltraBullet: 25.4% win rate (28 games)
  • Bullet: 46.5% win rate (1,767 games)
  • Blitz: 43.6% win rate (3,074 games)
  • Rapid: 38.5% win rate (772 games)
  • Classical: 41.2% win rate (24 games)

Black% by Rating × Time Control

Click any cell to filter. Green = above 50%, Red = below 50%.

RatingUBBulleBlitzRapidClass
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: 40.8% expected score (101 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 43.0% expected score (112 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 41.8% expected score (29 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 48.3% expected score (145 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 40.4% expected score (174 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 37.4% expected score (46 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 47.3% expected score (235 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 42.2% expected score (308 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 30.4% expected score (98 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (4 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 32.6% expected score (10 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 47.0% expected score (335 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 41.3% expected score (481 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 41.3% expected score (160 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 35.7% expected score (9 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 45.4% expected score (294 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 47.3% expected score (612 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 40.8% expected score (182 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 55.9% expected score (7 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 36.7% expected score (6 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 47.3% expected score (358 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 48.1% expected score (923 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 47.7% expected score (174 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 19.3% expected score (5 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 52.5% expected score (136 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 49.5% expected score (368 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 36.9% expected score (75 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 50.4% expected score (119 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 46.5% expected score (84 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 39.5% expected score (8 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 59.9% expected score (44 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 38.9% expected score (12 games)

Related Openings

Parent
Benoni Defense
47.5%
Variations (5)
Benoni Defense: Old Benoni
48.4%
Benoni Defense: Benoni Gambit Accepted
47.4%
Benoni Defense: French Benoni
50.8%
Benoni Defense: King's Pawn Line
50.7%
Benoni Defense: Hromádka System
49.2%
Analyze Benoni Defense: Snail Variation PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Benoni Defense: Snail Variation win rate?

The Benoni Defense: Snail Variation has a 52.8% (90% CI: 51.7%-53.9%) win rate for white, based on 5.7K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Benoni Defense: Snail Variation perform best?

The Benoni Defense: Snail Variation performs best at 1200-1399 Elo with a 56.6% win rate for white (646 games). Win rate tends to decline at higher ratings as opponents know the theory better.

Is the Benoni Defense: Snail Variation better in blitz or rapid?

Rapid (57.6%) outperforms Bullet (51.4%) by 6.2%. Choose your time control wisely.

How sharp is the Benoni Defense: Snail Variation?

The Benoni Defense: Snail Variation has a sharpness score of 96.5 (very decisive), meaning 96.5% of games end decisively. Average game length is 33 moves.

What is the Benoni Defense: Snail Variation win rate at 0-999 Elo?

At 0-999 Elo, the Benoni Defense: Snail Variation has a 56.5% (90% CI: 51.2%-61.7%) win rate for white, based on 242 Lichess games. Average game length is 25 moves with a 3.5% draw rate.

What is the Benoni Defense: Snail Variation win rate at 1000-1199 Elo?

At 1000-1199 Elo, the Benoni Defense: Snail Variation has a 56.2% (90% CI: 51.9%-60.4%) win rate for white, based on 368 Lichess games. Average game length is 27 moves with a 2.3% draw rate.

What is the Benoni Defense: Snail Variation win rate at 1200-1399 Elo?

At 1200-1399 Elo, the Benoni Defense: Snail Variation has a 56.6% (90% CI: 53.4%-59.8%) win rate for white, based on 646 Lichess games. Average game length is 29 moves with a 2.4% draw rate.

What is the Benoni Defense: Snail Variation win rate at 1400-1599 Elo?

At 1400-1599 Elo, the Benoni Defense: Snail Variation has a 55.7% (90% CI: 53.2%-58.3%) win rate for white, based on 995 Lichess games. Average game length is 31 moves with a 2.5% draw rate.

What is the Benoni Defense: Snail Variation win rate at 1600-1799 Elo?

At 1600-1799 Elo, the Benoni Defense: Snail Variation has a 52.6% (90% CI: 50.1%-55.1%) win rate for white, based on 1.1K Lichess games. Average game length is 34 moves with a 3.2% draw rate.

What is the Benoni Defense: Snail Variation win rate at 1800-1999 Elo?

At 1800-1999 Elo, the Benoni Defense: Snail Variation has a 50.0% (90% CI: 47.8%-52.1%) win rate for white, based on 1.5K Lichess games. Average game length is 36 moves with a 4.5% draw rate.

What is the Benoni Defense: Snail Variation win rate at 2000-2199 Elo?

At 2000-2199 Elo, the Benoni Defense: Snail Variation has a 49.4% (90% CI: 46.1%-52.8%) win rate for white, based on 586 Lichess games. Average game length is 36 moves with a 4.7% draw rate.

What is the Benoni Defense: Snail Variation win rate at 2200-2499 Elo?

At 2200-2499 Elo, the Benoni Defense: Snail Variation has a 49.4% (90% CI: 43.8%-55.0%) win rate for white, based on 212 Lichess games. Average game length is 38 moves with a 4.9% draw rate.

What is the Benoni Defense: Snail Variation win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet games, the Benoni Defense: Snail Variation has a 51.4% (90% CI: 49.5%-53.4%) win rate for white (1.8K Lichess games). Draw rate is 2.1%.

What is the Benoni Defense: Snail Variation win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz games, the Benoni Defense: Snail Variation has a 52.2% (90% CI: 50.7%-53.7%) win rate for white (3.1K Lichess games). Draw rate is 4.2%.

What is the Benoni Defense: Snail Variation win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid games, the Benoni Defense: Snail Variation has a 57.6% (90% CI: 54.7%-60.5%) win rate for white (772 Lichess games). Draw rate is 3.9%.

Is the Benoni Defense: Snail Variation a good opening?

The Benoni Defense: Snail Variation is statistically favors white with a 52.8% (90% CI: 51.7%-53.9%) win rate across all ratings. It performs best at 1200-1399 Elo. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.