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Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Benoni Pterodactyl

4.2K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds

49.2%

40%55%
Floor47.9%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 50.4%.

Measured over 4.2K games at this level and clock.

Tough Sellloses more often than it wins at this level

Roughly even — the middlegame decides more than this opening choice does.

Outcomes for Black

Draw 2.6 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 4.2K games

Rank among the families Black can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
4.2K
Best context
49.4% at 2200-2499 Bullet
Average game length
33 moves
Games that end decisively
97.4%
Draws
2.6%

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 49.9%.

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: 54.8% expected score (9 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 55.9% expected score (41 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 45.9% expected score (35 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 45.2% expected score (82 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 64.3% expected score (9 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 44.5% expected score (81 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 46.6% expected score (161 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 58.3% expected score (47 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 54.4% expected score (135 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 46.5% expected score (341 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 47.2% expected score (124 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 78.6% expected score (2 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 50.6% expected score (256 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 50.3% expected score (373 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 43.8% expected score (134 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 45.3% expected score (210 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 47.6% expected score (345 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 40.7% expected score (79 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 43.3% expected score (6 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 55.9% expected score (337 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 52.7% expected score (340 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 47.8% expected score (21 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 49.4% expected score (601 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 51.8% expected score (136 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 54.4% expected score (10 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 44.2% expected score (282 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 56.9% expected score (13 games)

Related Openings

Parent
Pterodactyl Defense
44.0%
Variations (5)
Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Anhanguera
48.1%
Pterodactyl Defense: Queen Pterodactyl, Quiet Line
47.7%
Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Benoni
49.3%
Pterodactyl Defense: Western, Rhamphorhynchus
48.0%
Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Rhamphorhynchus
51.1%
Analyze Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Benoni Pterodactyl PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Benoni Pterodactyl scores 49.2% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 47.9% and 50.4% — from 4.2K 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
4.2K+ 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 Pterodactyl win rate?

Playing the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Benoni Pterodactyl, Black wins 47.8%, draws 2.6% and loses 49.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.2%. It rests on 4.2K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Benoni Pterodactyl perform best?

The Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Benoni Pterodactyl performs best for Black at 2000-2199, with an Expected Score of 54.0% (701 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Benoni Pterodactyl better in blitz or rapid?

For Black, the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Benoni Pterodactyl scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 49.3% in Blitz (1.8K games) against 46.7% in Rapid (427 games).

How sharp is the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Benoni Pterodactyl?

The Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Benoni Pterodactyl has a sharpness score of 97.4 (very decisive), meaning 97.4% of games end decisively. Average game length is 33 moves.

What is the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Benoni Pterodactyl win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, Black wins 45.1%, draws 3.5% and loses 51.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.9%. It rests on 126 Lichess games, which average 28 moves.

What is the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Benoni Pterodactyl win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, Black wins 47.3%, draws 1.2% and loses 51.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.9%. It rests on 289 Lichess games, which average 26 moves.

What is the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Benoni Pterodactyl win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, Black wins 47.7%, draws 1.9% and loses 50.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.7%. It rests on 603 Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

What is the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Benoni Pterodactyl win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, Black wins 48.0%, draws 2.5% and loses 49.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.3%. It rests on 766 Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

What is the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Benoni Pterodactyl win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, Black wins 44.7%, draws 2.4% and loses 52.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.9%. It rests on 640 Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

What is the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Benoni Pterodactyl win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, Black wins 52.5%, draws 3.1% and loses 44.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.0%. It rests on 701 Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

What is the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Benoni Pterodactyl win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, Black wins 48.4%, draws 2.9% and loses 48.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.9%. It rests on 747 Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

What is the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Benoni Pterodactyl win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, Black wins 42.3%, draws 4.9% and loses 52.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.8%. It rests on 295 Lichess games, which average 41 moves.

What is the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Benoni Pterodactyl win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, Black wins 48.4%, draws 2.3% and loses 49.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.6%. It rests on 1.9K Lichess games.

What is the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Benoni Pterodactyl win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, Black wins 47.8%, draws 2.9% and loses 49.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.3%. It rests on 1.8K Lichess games.

What is the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Benoni Pterodactyl win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, Black wins 45.2%, draws 2.9% and loses 51.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.7%. It rests on 427 Lichess games.

Is the Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Benoni Pterodactyl a good opening?

The Pterodactyl Defense: Eastern, Benoni Pterodactyl is hard work for Black — it favours White. Across all ratings, Black wins 47.8% of its games and loses 49.5%. It performs best at 2000-2199. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.