Benoni Defense: all variations and ECO codes
61 named lines across 24 ECO codes (A40–A79). Source: the CC0-licensed lichess.org opening database.
The idea
Black meets White’s central space grab with an early c5, and once the position settles - typically after ...e6, d5, and an eventual ...exd5 cxd5 - trades the e-pawn rather than the c-pawn, leaving White a protected passed pawn on d5 in exchange for Black’s own queenside pawn majority and open lines for active piece play. It’s a much sharper bargain than the solid, symmetrical structures most other replies to 1.d4 aim for.
The main line
How the main line scores at your rating
Real Lichess win rates for 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5, playing as black: the family’s other variations are not separately tracked for win rate yet, main line only.
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| Rating band | Games | White / draw / Black | Score for black | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1400-1600 | 86 | Not enough games at this band yet. | |||
| 1600-1800 | 233 | Not enough games at this band yet. | |||
| 1800-2000 | 483 | Not enough games at this band yet. | |||
| 2000+ | 955 | Not enough games at this band yet. | |||
All 61 named variations
Every named line in the Benoni Defense family, from the CC0-licensed ECO classification: not separately tracked for win rate, but every ECO code and move sequence is real, sourced data.
- A56Benoni Defense (main line)1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5
- A61Benoni Defense (main line)1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 c5 4.d5 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.Nc3 g6
- A40Franco-Sicilian Hybrid1.d4 e6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 exd5 4.cxd5 d6 5.Nc3 g6 6.e4 Bg7 7.Nf3 Ne7
- A43Benoni Gambit Accepted1.d4 c5 2.dxc5
Benoni Gambit
- A43Schlenker Defense1.d4 c5 2.dxc5 Na6
- A43Benoni-Indian Defense1.d4 c5 2.d5 Nf6
- A43Kingside Move Order1.d4 c5 2.d5 Nf6 3.Nf3
- A43Benoni-Staunton Gambit1.d4 c5 2.d5 f5 3.e4
- A43Cormorant Gambit1.d4 c5 2.dxc5 b6
- A43French Benoni1.e4 e6 2.d4 c5 3.d5
- A43Hawk Variation1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 c5 3.d5 c4
- A43Old Benoni1.d4 c5A43Old Benoni1.d4 c5 2.d5A43Old Benoni1.d4 c5 2.d5 d6A44Old Benoni1.d4 c5 2.d5 e5
- A43Mujannah Formation1.d4 c5 2.d5 f5
- A43Schmid Variation1.d4 c5 2.d5 d6 3.Nc3 g6
- A43Snail Variation1.d4 c5 2.d5 Na6
- A43Woozle1.d4 c5 2.d5 Nf6 3.Nc3 Qa5
- A43Zilbermints-Benoni Gambit1.d4 c5 2.b4A43Zilbermints-Benoni Gambit1.d4 c5 2.Nf3 cxd4 3.b4
- A43Tamarkin Countergambit1.d4 c5 2.Nf3 cxd4 3.b4 e5
- A44Semi-Benoni1.d4 c5 2.d5 e5 3.e4 d6
- A56Czech Benoni Defense1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e5
- A56Hromádka System1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 d6
- A56King’s Indian System1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e5 4.Nc3 d6 5.e4 g6
- A56Weenink Variation1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.dxc5 e6
- A60Modern Variation1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6
- A60Snake Variation1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 Bd6
- A61Fianchetto Variation1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 c5 4.d5 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.Nc3 g6 7.g3A62Fianchetto Variation1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 c5 4.d5 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.Nc3 g6 7.Bg2 Bg7 8.Nf3 O-O
- A63Hastings Defense1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 c5 4.d5 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.Nc3 g6 7.Bg2 Bg7 8.Nf3 O-O 9.O-O Nbd7
- A64Main Line1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 c5 4.d5 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.Nc3 g6 7.Bg2 Bg7 8.Nf3 O-O 9.O-O a6 10.a4 Nbd7 11.Nd2 Re8
- A61Knight’s Tour Variation1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 c5 4.d5 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.Nc3 g6 7.Nd2
- A61Uhlmann Variation1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 c5 4.d5 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.Nc3 g6 7.Bg5
- A65King’s Pawn Line1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4A65King’s Pawn Line1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.f3 Bg7A65King’s Pawn Line1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.f3 c5 4.d5 d6 5.e4 Bg7 6.Nc3 e6 7.Be3 O-O 8.Qd2 exd5 9.cxd5
- A65with Be31.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.f3 Bg7 8.Be3
- A65with Bg51.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 O-O 6.Bg5 c5 7.d5A65with Bg51.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.f3 Bg7 8.Bg5A65with Bg51.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 O-O 6.Bg5 c5 7.d5 e6 8.Qd2 exd5 9.exd5
- A65with Nge21.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.f3 Bg7 8.Nge2A65with Nge21.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 O-O 6.Nge2 c5 7.d5 e6 8.Ng3 exd5 9.cxd5
- A66Mikenas Variation1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.f4 Bg7 8.e5
- A66Pawn Storm Variation1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.f4
- A67Taimanov Variation1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.f4 Bg7 8.Bb5+
- A68Four Pawns Attack1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.f4 Bg7 8.Nf3 O-O
- A69Main Line1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.f4 Bg7 8.Nf3 O-O 9.Be2 Re8
- A70Classical Variation1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 c5 4.d5 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.Nc3 g6 7.e4A72Classical Variation1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.Nf3 Bg7 8.Be2 O-O
- A70New York Variation1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 c5 4.d5 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.Nc3 g6 7.e4 Bg7 8.h3
- A70Traditional Variation1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 c5 4.d5 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.Nc3 g6 7.e4 Bg7 8.Be2
- A71Averbakh-Grivas Attack1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 c5 4.d5 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.Nc3 g6 7.e4 Bg7 8.Bg5
- A73Main Line1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.Nf3 Bg7 8.Be2 O-O 9.O-O
- A74Full Line1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.Nf3 Bg7 8.Be2 O-O 9.O-O a6 10.a4
- A75Argentine Counterattack1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 c5 4.d5 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.Nc3 g6 7.e4 Bg7 8.Be2 O-O 9.O-O a6 10.a4 Bg4
- A76Czerniak Defense1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.Nf3 Bg7 8.Be2 O-O 9.O-O Re8A78Czerniak Defense1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 c5 4.d5 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.Nc3 g6 7.e4 Bg7 8.Be2 O-O 9.O-O Re8 10.Nd2 Na6A79Czerniak Defense1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.Nf3 Bg7 8.Be2 O-O 9.O-O Re8 10.Nd2 Na6 11.f3
- A77Tal Line1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.Nf3 Bg7 8.Be2 O-O 9.O-O Re8 10.Nd2
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