Benko Gambit 8…d6 9. g3
Also known as Volga Gambit
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Statistics from Lichess
131,450 games: White 45.0% / Draw 7.5% / Black 47.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 119,505120K | ||
| 9,5679,567 | ||
| 1,1401,140 | ||
| 537537 | ||
| 265265 | ||
| 241241 | ||
| 6868 | ||
| 5252 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 1, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.72 White is better
Best play: 9... Bg7 10. Kg2 O-O 11. Nf3 Qc8 12. a4 Na6 13. Ra3 Nb4 14. Bg5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Benko Gambit (ECO A59, Flank Openings) is a gambit in the Benko Gambit Accepted: Fully Accepted Variation, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5 4. cxb5 a6 5. bxa6 g6 6. Nc3 Bxa6 7. e4 Bxf1 8. Kxf1 d6 9. g3 (9 moves).
In 131,450 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 45.0%, Black 47.4% and 7.5% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 9…Bg7, in 91% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 9. g3
9…Nbd7 scores best for Black: 51.5%, with Black winning 47.5% and White 44.5% of 9,567 games. The most played answer, 9…Bg7, scores lowest: 51.2% in 120K games. Stockfish's first choice is 9…Bg7.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Benko Gambit (A59)”. Lichess data as of 1 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/benko-gambit-2