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Benoni Defense: Benoni Gambit Accepted

White Gambit

Source Lichess

You play
Playablewins about as often as it loses at this level
All Ratings
Edge at worst−1.8%

White isn't shown winning more often than losing at this level

how far wins run ahead of losses, 90% confident

Rating TrendPeak: +10.6% at 2500+
0-9992500+
Win%47.4%
Games3.5M
Breakpoint0-999first rating it isn't shown winning more than losing
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Rating
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Time Control
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Does Benoni Defense: Benoni Gambit Accepted work for White at All Ratings?

Snapshot

At All Ratings, Benoni Defense: Benoni Gambit Accepted keeps White's wins running −1.8% ahead of its losses at worst, 90% confident, from 3.5M Lichess games. The games don't show this gambit paying at this level. Win rate, draw rate and loss rate come from games played December 2023 to November 2025.

RatingEdge at worstWhite WinDrawWhite LossGames
0-999−4.2%46.5%3.3%50.2%126K
1000-1199−2.9%47.4%2.7%50.0%277K
1200-1399−2.6%47.4%2.7%49.8%495K
1400-1599−3.0%47.1%3.0%49.9%698K
1600-1799−2.6%47.1%3.4%49.5%762K
1800-1999−2.2%47.1%3.8%49.1%625K
2000-2199+0.3%48.1%4.3%47.5%338K
2200-2499+5.2%50.4%4.9%44.8%161K
2500++10.6%52.9%5.7%41.4%32K
Full Opening StatsSee rating/time-control breakdowns for White on the opening stats page
Analyze Benoni Defense: Benoni Gambit Accepted PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Benoni Defense: Benoni Gambit Accepted sound?

At some ratings. White comes out ahead at 2000+; at the other ratings we can see, the games do not show it paying. Where it pays changes with the clock, so set yours above and look again.

What is the Benoni Defense: Benoni Gambit Accepted win rate?

White wins 47.4% of Benoni Defense: Benoni Gambit Accepted games, draws 3.4% and loses 49.1%. That rests on 3.5M games from Lichess.

What is the best rating to play the Benoni Defense: Benoni Gambit Accepted?

2500+. There White wins at least 10.6 more of every 100 games than it loses (90% confident), its highest Edge at worst.

Is the Benoni Defense: Benoni Gambit Accepted better in blitz or rapid?

About the same. For White, the Edge at worst — how far wins run ahead of losses, 90% confident — is −1.6% in Blitz (1.7M games) and −1.2% in Rapid (438K games). In neither do the games show White winning more than losing.

Does the Benoni Defense: Benoni Gambit Accepted breakpoint vary by time control?

Yes. The first rating where the games do not show White coming out ahead is 0-999 in Bullet, 0-999 in Blitz, 1000-1199 in Rapid and 0-999 in Classical.

How sharp is the Benoni Defense: Benoni Gambit Accepted?

The Benoni Defense: Benoni Gambit Accepted is extremely sharp: 3.4% of its games are drawn, so 96.6% end with a winner.

Should I play the Benoni Defense: Benoni Gambit Accepted?

At 2000+, where White comes out ahead. At the other ratings we can see, the games do not show it paying. Where it pays changes with the clock, so set yours above and look again.

How do I defend against the Benoni Defense: Benoni Gambit Accepted?

As Black, take the material, then develop fast, castle early, and trade pieces. Give the material back when doing so kills the attack. At 2000+, White still comes out ahead in these games; at the other ratings we can see, the games do not show the gambit paying.

How reliable is the Benoni Defense: Benoni Gambit Accepted data?

This rests on 3.5M games from Lichess. Every figure carries the range it is in, 90% confident, and the table above shows how many games sit behind each rating and each clock — the fewer there are, the wider that range.