Caissa Codex
A58

Benko Gambit Accepted: Fully Accepted Variation

Chess diagram: Benko Gambit Accepted: Fully Accepted Variation after 5. bxa6

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Statistics from Lichess

1,159,746 games: White 44.4% / Draw 6.5% / Black 49.1%

The moves played next. Pick one to see it on the board.
Next moveGamesWhite / Draw / BlackW / D / B
692,308692K
379,132379K
41,48141K
35,77536K
7,3207,320
2,2632,263
716716
247247

Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 6, 2026

Engine evaluation

+0.40 White is slightly better

Best play: 5... e6 6. dxe6 fxe6 7. Nc3 Bxa6 8. g3 d5 9. Bg2 Nc6 10. Nh3

Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.

By rating

The stronger the players, the better this line does for White: White scores 47% under 1400, 51% at 2200 and up and 58% in master games (wins plus half the draws).

PlayersGamesWhite / Draw / BlackW / D / B
Under 1400 3,318
1400–1799 97K
1800–2199 708K
2200 and up 371K
Masters, over the board 6,936

Master games

Rated blitz, rapid and classical Lichess games by rating band, and over-the-board games of players rated 2200+ from the Lichess masters database, updated Sep 27, 2026

Overview

Benko Gambit Accepted: Fully Accepted Variation (ECO A58, Flank Openings) is a gambit in the Benko Gambit Accepted, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5 4. cxb5 a6 5. bxa6 (5 moves).

In 1,159,746 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 44.4%, Black 49.1% and 6.5% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 5…Bxa6, in 60% of those games.

It branches into 8 named variations; the most played are Benko Gambit Accepted: Yugoslav and Benko Gambit Accepted: King Walk Variation.

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How to play against the Benko Gambit Accepted: Fully Accepted Variation

5…g6 scores best for Black: 53.2%, with Black winning 49.6% and White 43.3% of 379K games. The most played answer, 5…Bxa6, scores lowest: 52.1% in 692K games. Stockfish's first choice is 5…e6.

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

Popularity by year

The Benko Gambit Accepted: Fully Accepted Variation has lost ground since 2016: 0.039% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.057% (its peak: 0.067% in 2018).

Numbers by year
YearShare of gamesGames
20160.057%20,308
20170.063%34,733
20180.067%52,942
20190.057%71,517
20200.052%151,215
20210.043%169,839
20220.044%164,373
20230.041%155,188
20240.039%139,699
20250.039%135,533
2026 (Jan–Apr)0.041%44,611

Share of rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 (blitz, rapid and classical) that reach this position, by year; 2026: January to April. Which openings are rising and falling

Variations (8)

Other lines from the same position

Instead of 5. bxa6, the position after Benko Gambit Accepted also goes on to:

Cite this page

Caissa Codex. “Benko Gambit Accepted: Fully Accepted Variation (A58)”. Lichess data as of 6 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/benko-gambit-accepted-fully-accepted-variation

https://chesscodex.org/openings/benko-gambit-accepted-fully-accepted-variation