Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Benoni Pteranodon
1.9K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds
42.3%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 44.2%.
Measured over 1.9K games at this level and clock.
Black comes out behind here — there are better weapons in the list.
Outcomes for Black
Draw 3.8 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 1.9K games
- Rank among the families Black can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 1.9K
- Best context
- not measured yet
- Average game length
- 34 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 96.2%
- Draws
- 3.8%
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.
Extra Analysis
Deep-dive datasets for this opening
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: 45.8% at 0-999, 52.0% at 2500+.
| Rating | UB | Bulle | Blitz | Rapid | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 40.9% expected score (15 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 31.5% expected score (12 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 83.4% expected score (3 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 57.8% expected score (37 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (37 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 31.0% expected score (9 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 49.0% expected score (47 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 33.1% expected score (84 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 28.3% expected score (10 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 37.7% expected score (47 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 39.5% expected score (127 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 44.8% expected score (27 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 41.7% expected score (83 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 37.9% expected score (200 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 42.3% expected score (37 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 46.5% expected score (200 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 43.1% expected score (208 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 15.1% expected score (30 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 44.8% expected score (367 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 40.9% expected score (152 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 73.1% expected score (5 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 46.0% expected score (122 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 58.0% expected score (11 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Benoni Pteranodon scores 42.3% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 40.4% and 44.2% — from 1.9K 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
- 1.9K+ 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 Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Benoni Pteranodon win rate?
Playing the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Benoni Pteranodon, Black wins 40.4%, draws 3.8% and loses 55.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 42.3%. It rests on 1.9K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Benoni Pteranodon perform best?
The Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Benoni Pteranodon performs best for Black at 1200-1399, with an Expected Score of 51.2% (83 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Benoni Pteranodon better in blitz or rapid?
For Black, the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Benoni Pteranodon scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 40.0% in Blitz (833 games) against 36.2% in Rapid (121 games).
How sharp is the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Benoni Pteranodon?
The Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Benoni Pteranodon has a sharpness score of 96.2 (very decisive), meaning 96.2% of games end decisively. Average game length is 34 moves.
What is the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Benoni Pteranodon win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, Black wins 34.9%, draws 4.5% and loses 60.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 37.2%. It rests on 143 Lichess games, which average 31 moves.
What is the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Benoni Pteranodon win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, Black wins 38.1%, draws 2.7% and loses 59.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 39.5%. It rests on 202 Lichess games, which average 34 moves.
What is the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Benoni Pteranodon win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, Black wins 37.1%, draws 4.2% and loses 58.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 39.2%. It rests on 321 Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Benoni Pteranodon win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, Black wins 41.1%, draws 3.1% and loses 55.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 42.6%. It rests on 438 Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Benoni Pteranodon win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, Black wins 41.6%, draws 4.9% and loses 53.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.0%. It rests on 524 Lichess games, which average 36 moves.
What is the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Benoni Pteranodon win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, Black wins 45.0%, draws 4.1% and loses 50.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.1%. It rests on 133 Lichess games, which average 37 moves.
What is the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Benoni Pteranodon win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, Black wins 43.6%, draws 3.5% and loses 52.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.4%. It rests on 919 Lichess games.
What is the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Benoni Pteranodon win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, Black wins 37.9%, draws 4.1% and loses 57.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 40.0%. It rests on 833 Lichess games.
What is the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Benoni Pteranodon win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, Black wins 33.9%, draws 4.5% and loses 61.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 36.2%. It rests on 121 Lichess games.
Is the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Benoni Pteranodon a good opening?
The Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Benoni Pteranodon is hard work for Black — it favours White. Across all ratings, Black wins 40.4% of its games and loses 55.8%. It performs best at 1200-1399. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.