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Benoni Defense: Snail Variation

5.7K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds

45.5%

40%55%
Floor44.4%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 46.6%.

Measured over 5.7K games at this level and clock.

Tough Sellloses more often than it wins at this level

Black comes out behind here — there are better weapons in the list.

Outcomes for Black

Draw 3.5 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 5.7K games

Rank among the families Black can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
5.7K
Best context
48.1% at 1800-1999 Blitz
Worst context
47.3% at 1600-1799 Blitz
Average game length
33 moves
Games that end decisively
96.5%
Draws
3.5%

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 · 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 gets better as the rating rises: 41.9% at 0-999, 49.4% at 2500+.

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 PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Benoni Defense: Snail Variation scores 45.5% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 44.4% and 46.6% — from 5.7K 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
5.7K+ 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: Snail Variation win rate?

Playing the Benoni Defense: Snail Variation, Black wins 43.7%, draws 3.5% and loses 52.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.5%. It rests 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 for Black at 1800-1999, with an Expected Score of 47.8% (1.5K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

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

For Black, the Benoni Defense: Snail Variation scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 45.7% in Blitz (3.1K games) against 40.5% in Rapid (772 games).

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?

At 0-999, Black wins 40.0%, draws 3.5% and loses 56.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 41.8%. It rests on 242 Lichess games, which average 25 moves.

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

At 1000-1199, Black wins 41.5%, draws 2.3% and loses 56.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 42.7%. It rests on 368 Lichess games, which average 27 moves.

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

At 1200-1399, Black wins 41.0%, draws 2.4% and loses 56.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 42.2%. It rests on 646 Lichess games, which average 29 moves.

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

At 1400-1599, Black wins 41.8%, draws 2.5% and loses 55.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 43.1%. It rests on 995 Lichess games, which average 31 moves.

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

At 1600-1799, Black wins 44.2%, draws 3.2% and loses 52.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.8%. It rests on 1.1K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

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

At 1800-1999, Black wins 45.5%, draws 4.5% and loses 50.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.8%. It rests on 1.5K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

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

At 2000-2199, Black wins 45.9%, draws 4.7% and loses 49.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.3%. It rests on 586 Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

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

At 2200-2499, Black wins 45.7%, draws 4.9% and loses 49.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.2%. It rests on 212 Lichess games, which average 38 moves.

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

In Bullet, Black wins 46.5%, draws 2.1% and loses 51.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.6%. It rests on 1.8K Lichess games.

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

In Blitz, Black wins 43.6%, draws 4.2% and loses 52.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.7%. It rests on 3.1K Lichess games.

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

In Rapid, Black wins 38.5%, draws 3.9% and loses 57.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 40.5%. It rests on 772 Lichess games.

Is the Benoni Defense: Snail Variation a good opening?

The Benoni Defense: Snail Variation is hard work for Black — it favours White. Across all ratings, Black wins 43.7% of its games and loses 52.8%. It performs best at 1800-1999. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.