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Benoni Defense: Taimanov Variation

46K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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White Expected Score55.1%Range (90% confident): 54.7% – 55.5%Based on 46K games
0%55.1%100%
Range (90% confident): 54.7% – 55.5%
Outcome Distribution
52.9%4.3%42.8%
Win
Draw
Loss
8.Bb5+
Benoni Defense: Taimanov Variation
Analyzen=46K
Avg Length36 moves
Sharpness96%
Draw Rate4.3%

What is the Benoni Defense: Taimanov Variation expected score for White?

Snapshot

At all ratings, the Benoni Defense: Taimanov Variation has a 55.1% expected score for White (we're 90% confident it's between 54.7% and 55.5%), based on 46K Lichess games.

White Win% by Rating

Improves with rating: 44% → 54%

1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
2200
2500+

  • 1000-1199: 44.0% win rate (11 games)
  • 1200-1399: 50.6% win rate (41 games)
  • 1400-1599: 58.5% win rate (220 games)
  • 1600-1799: 53.6% win rate (965 games)
  • 1800-1999: 51.9% win rate (4,793 games)
  • 2000-2199: 52.5% win rate (14,446 games)
  • 2200-2499: 53.0% win rate (20,105 games)
  • 2500+: 53.5% win rate (5,483 games)

White Win% by Time Control

Best in Rapid (56%), worst in UltraBullet (46%)

UltraBullet
Bullet
Blitz
Rapid
Classical

  • UltraBullet: 45.5% win rate (4 games)
  • Bullet: 52.5% win rate (13,775 games)
  • Blitz: 52.8% win rate (29,586 games)
  • Rapid: 55.5% win rate (2,546 games)
  • Classical: 54.0% win rate (153 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

  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 13.7% expected score (4 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 57.7% expected score (5 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 78.6% expected score (2 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 54.5% expected score (21 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (13 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 55.9% expected score (7 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 51.2% expected score (122 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 70.2% expected score (78 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 65.2% expected score (15 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 57.7% expected score (5 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 55.3% expected score (474 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 50.8% expected score (420 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 73.0% expected score (66 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 73.1% expected score (5 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 52.8% expected score (1,442 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 53.5% expected score (3,008 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 57.0% expected score (298 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 47.8% expected score (44 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 52.7% expected score (2,699 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 55.0% expected score (10,753 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 55.5% expected score (903 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 59.3% expected score (90 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 54.8% expected score (5,776 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 55.2% expected score (13,152 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 59.6% expected score (1,168 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 73.6% expected score (7 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 55.3% expected score (3,237 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 57.5% expected score (2,157 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 67.0% expected score (87 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (2 games)

Related Openings

Parent
Benoni Defense
47.5%
Variations (5)
Benoni Defense: Benoni Gambit Accepted
47.4%
Benoni Defense: Benoni Gambit, Schlenker Defense
48.7%
Benoni Defense: Benoni-Indian Defense
50.1%
Benoni Defense: Benoni-Indian Defense, Kingside Move Order
49.0%
Benoni Defense: Benoni-Staunton Gambit
53.5%
Analyze Benoni Defense: Taimanov Variation PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Benoni Defense: Taimanov Variation win rate?

The Benoni Defense: Taimanov Variation has a 52.9% (90% CI: 52.5%-53.3%) win rate for white, based on 46K rated games from Lichess.

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

The Benoni Defense: Taimanov Variation performs best at 1400-1599 Elo with a 58.5% win rate for white (220 games). Win rate tends to decline at higher ratings as opponents know the theory better.

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

Rapid (55.5%) outperforms Classical (54.0%) by 1.5%. Choose your time control wisely.

How sharp is the Benoni Defense: Taimanov Variation?

The Benoni Defense: Taimanov Variation has a sharpness score of 95.7 (very decisive), meaning 95.7% of games end decisively. Average game length is 36 moves.

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

At 1400-1599 Elo, the Benoni Defense: Taimanov Variation has a 58.5% (90% CI: 53.0%-63.9%) win rate for white, based on 220 Lichess games. Average game length is 30 moves with a 1.6% draw rate.

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

At 1600-1799 Elo, the Benoni Defense: Taimanov Variation has a 53.6% (90% CI: 51.0%-56.3%) win rate for white, based on 965 Lichess games. Average game length is 29 moves with a 2.1% draw rate.

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

At 1800-1999 Elo, the Benoni Defense: Taimanov Variation has a 51.9% (90% CI: 50.8%-53.1%) win rate for white, based on 4.8K Lichess games. Average game length is 32 moves with a 2.9% draw rate.

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

At 2000-2199 Elo, the Benoni Defense: Taimanov Variation has a 52.5% (90% CI: 51.9%-53.2%) win rate for white, based on 14K Lichess games. Average game length is 35 moves with a 4.1% draw rate.

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

At 2200-2499 Elo, the Benoni Defense: Taimanov Variation has a 53.0% (90% CI: 52.5%-53.6%) win rate for white, based on 20K Lichess games. Average game length is 37 moves with a 4.6% draw rate.

What is the Benoni Defense: Taimanov Variation win rate at 2500+ Elo?

At 2500+ Elo, the Benoni Defense: Taimanov Variation has a 53.5% (90% CI: 52.4%-54.6%) win rate for white, based on 5.5K Lichess games. Average game length is 40 moves with a 5.6% draw rate.

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

In Bullet games, the Benoni Defense: Taimanov Variation has a 52.5% (90% CI: 51.8%-53.2%) win rate for white (14K Lichess games). Draw rate is 3.5%.

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

In Blitz games, the Benoni Defense: Taimanov Variation has a 52.8% (90% CI: 52.3%-53.3%) win rate for white (30K Lichess games). Draw rate is 4.5%.

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

In Rapid games, the Benoni Defense: Taimanov Variation has a 55.5% (90% CI: 53.9%-57.1%) win rate for white (2.5K Lichess games). Draw rate is 5.9%.

What is the Benoni Defense: Taimanov Variation win rate in Classical?

In Classical games, the Benoni Defense: Taimanov Variation has a 54.0% (90% CI: 47.4%-60.6%) win rate for white (153 Lichess games). Draw rate is 6.8%.

Is the Benoni Defense: Taimanov Variation a good opening?

The Benoni Defense: Taimanov Variation is statistically favors white with a 52.9% (90% CI: 52.5%-53.3%) win rate across all ratings. It performs best at 1400-1599 Elo. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.