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Benoni Defense: Woozle

14K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds

47.5%

40%55%
Floor46.8%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 48.2%.

Measured over 14K 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 3.1 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 14K games

Rank among the families Black can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
14K
Best context
53.4% at 2000-2199 Blitz
Worst context
43.3% at 1600-1799 Rapid
Average game length
32 moves
Games that end decisively
96.9%
Draws
3.1%

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 holds about the same all the way up, near 48.4%.

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: 50.6% expected score (81 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 44.6% expected score (237 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (47 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 46.1% expected score (201 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 44.9% expected score (720 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 43.8% expected score (199 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 78.6% expected score (2 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 51.3% expected score (303 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 46.6% expected score (1,372 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 44.7% expected score (595 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (11 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 49.3% expected score (389 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 47.9% expected score (1,519 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 43.5% expected score (875 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 40.7% expected score (36 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 48.8% expected score (287 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 45.2% expected score (926 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 43.3% expected score (662 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 44.8% expected score (27 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 55.2% expected score (276 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (681 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 48.3% expected score (267 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 62.0% expected score (11 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 51.2% expected score (908 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 53.4% expected score (812 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 41.9% expected score (103 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 48.1% expected score (1,174 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 46.5% expected score (976 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 45.2% expected score (60 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 50.0% expected score (484 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 40.7% expected score (68 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (1 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: Woozle PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Benoni Defense: Woozle scores 47.5% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 46.8% and 48.2% — from 14K 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
14K+ 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: Woozle win rate?

Playing the Benoni Defense: Woozle, Black wins 45.9%, draws 3.1% and loses 51.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.5%. It rests on 14K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Benoni Defense: Woozle perform best?

The Benoni Defense: Woozle performs best for Black at 2000-2199, with an Expected Score of 51.6% (1.8K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Benoni Defense: Woozle better in blitz or rapid?

For Black, the Benoni Defense: Woozle scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 47.5% in Blitz (7.3K games) against 44.3% in Rapid (2.8K games).

How sharp is the Benoni Defense: Woozle?

The Benoni Defense: Woozle has a sharpness score of 96.9 (very decisive), meaning 96.9% of games end decisively. Average game length is 32 moves.

What is the Benoni Defense: Woozle win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, Black wins 45.4%, draws 2.3% and loses 52.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.6%. It rests on 365 Lichess games, which average 22 moves.

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

At 1000-1199, Black wins 43.7%, draws 2.6% and loses 53.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.0%. It rests on 1.1K Lichess games, which average 26 moves.

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

At 1200-1399, Black wins 45.5%, draws 2.1% and loses 52.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.6%. It rests on 2.3K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.

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

At 1400-1599, Black wins 45.3%, draws 2.6% and loses 52.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.7%. It rests on 2.8K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.

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

At 1600-1799, Black wins 43.8%, draws 2.5% and loses 53.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.1%. It rests on 1.9K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

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

At 1800-1999, Black wins 49.7%, draws 2.5% and loses 47.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.9%. It rests on 1.2K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

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

At 2000-2199, Black wins 49.7%, draws 3.8% and loses 46.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.6%. It rests on 1.8K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

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

At 2200-2499, Black wins 45.0%, draws 4.5% and loses 50.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.3%. It rests on 2.2K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

What is the Benoni Defense: Woozle win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, Black wins 45.7%, draws 6.2% and loses 48.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.8%. It rests on 553 Lichess games, which average 39 moves.

What is the Benoni Defense: Woozle win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, Black wins 48.4%, draws 2.7% and loses 48.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.8%. It rests on 4.1K Lichess games.

What is the Benoni Defense: Woozle win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, Black wins 45.8%, draws 3.3% and loses 50.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.5%. It rests on 7.3K Lichess games.

What is the Benoni Defense: Woozle win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, Black wins 42.8%, draws 2.9% and loses 54.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.3%. It rests on 2.8K Lichess games.

Is the Benoni Defense: Woozle a good opening?

The Benoni Defense: Woozle is hard work for Black — it favours White. Across all ratings, Black wins 45.9% of its games and loses 51.0%. It performs best at 2000-2199. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.