Benoni Defense: Snail Variation

5.7K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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White Expected Score54.6%Range (90% confident): 53.5% – 55.7%Based on 5.7K games
0%54.6%100%
Range (90% confident): 53.5% – 55.7%
Outcome Distribution
52.8%3.5%43.7%
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 White?

Snapshot

At all ratings, the Benoni Defense: Snail Variation has a 54.6% expected score for White (we're 90% confident it's between 53.5% and 55.7%), based on 5.7K Lichess games.

White Win% by Rating

Declines with rating: 57% → 41%

0
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
2200
2500+

  • 0-999: 56.5% win rate (242 games)
  • 1000-1199: 56.2% win rate (368 games)
  • 1200-1399: 56.6% win rate (646 games)
  • 1400-1599: 55.7% win rate (995 games)
  • 1600-1799: 52.6% win rate (1,098 games)
  • 1800-1999: 50.0% win rate (1,462 games)
  • 2000-2199: 49.4% win rate (586 games)
  • 2200-2499: 49.4% win rate (212 games)
  • 2500+: 40.9% win rate (56 games)

White Win% by Time Control

Best in UltraBullet (70%), worst in Bullet (51%)

UltraBullet
Bullet
Blitz
Rapid
Classical

  • UltraBullet: 69.5% win rate (28 games)
  • Bullet: 51.4% win rate (1,767 games)
  • Blitz: 52.2% win rate (3,074 games)
  • Rapid: 57.6% win rate (772 games)
  • Classical: 56.9% win rate (24 games)

White% 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: 59.3% expected score (101 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 57.1% expected score (112 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 58.2% expected score (29 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 78.6% expected score (2 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 51.8% expected score (145 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 59.7% expected score (174 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 62.7% expected score (46 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 52.8% expected score (235 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 57.8% expected score (308 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 69.6% expected score (98 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (4 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 67.4% expected score (10 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 53.0% expected score (335 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 58.7% expected score (481 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 58.7% expected score (160 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 64.3% expected score (9 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 54.6% expected score (294 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 52.8% expected score (612 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 59.3% expected score (182 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 44.2% expected score (7 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 63.4% expected score (6 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 52.8% expected score (358 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 51.9% expected score (923 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 52.3% expected score (174 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 80.8% expected score (5 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 47.5% expected score (136 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 50.5% expected score (368 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 63.1% expected score (75 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 49.6% expected score (119 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 53.5% expected score (84 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 60.6% expected score (8 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 40.2% expected score (44 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 61.2% expected score (12 games)

Related Openings

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.