Benko Gambit Accepted: Pawn Return Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
349,797 games: White 47.0% / Draw 5.8% / Black 47.1%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 153,936154K | ||
| 84,95785K | ||
| 60,58561K | ||
| 41,22641K | ||
| 4,5604,560 | ||
| 4,3194,319 | ||
| 113113 | ||
| 3737 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.14 The position is about equal
Best play: 5... e6 6. e4 Nxe4 7. Nc3 Nxc3 8. bxc3 Qxb6 9. Bc4 Be7 10. Nh3
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 240 | |
| 1400–1799 | 16K | |
| 1800–2199 | 216K | |
| 2200 and up | 120K | |
| Masters, over the board | 2,269 |
Master games
- Radjabov, T. – Ivanchuk, V.
- Radjabov, T. – Andreikin, D.
- Hjartarson, J. – Kasparov, G.
- Dreev, A. – Topalov, V.
- Cheparinov, I. – Ivanchuk, V.
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: Pawn Return Variation (ECO A57, 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. b6 (5 moves).
In 349,797 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.0%, Black 47.1% and 5.8% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 5…Qxb6, in 44% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Benko Gambit Accepted: Pawn Return Variation
5…d6 scores best for Black: 50.6%, with Black winning 47.7% and White 46.5% of 85K games. The most played answer, 5…Qxb6, scores lowest: 49.6% in 154K 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: Pawn Return Variation has lost ground since 2016: 0.012% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.021% (its peak: 0.024% in 2018).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.021% | 7,459 |
| 2017 | 0.022% | 12,040 |
| 2018 | 0.024% | 18,772 |
| 2019 | 0.02% | 24,897 |
| 2020 | 0.017% | 50,538 |
| 2021 | 0.012% | 48,609 |
| 2022 | 0.012% | 45,034 |
| 2023 | 0.011% | 42,807 |
| 2024 | 0.011% | 40,518 |
| 2025 | 0.012% | 40,304 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.012% | 12,673 |
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Benko Gambit Accepted: Pawn Return Variation (A57)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/benko-gambit-accepted-pawn-return-variation