Tree path 4 levels Queen's Pawn Game › Indian Defense › Normal Variation › Benoni Defense
- Caissa Codex
- Queen's Pawn Game A40
- Indian Defense A45
- Normal Variation A50
- Benoni Defense A61 you are here
Benoni Defense
Overview
Benoni Defense (ECO A61) is a variation of Indian Defense: Normal Variation, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 c5 4. d5 exd5 5. cxd5 d6 6. Nc3 g6 — 6 moves.
In 601,949 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.9%, Black 45.6% and 5.5% were drawn. White's most played move here is 7. e4, in 35% of those games.
It branches into 4 named variations; the most played are Benoni Defense: Classical Variation and Benoni Defense: Uhlmann Variation. In all, 9 named lines continue from it.
- ECO code
- A61
- Group
- Flank Openings (A)
- Length
- 6 moves
- Direct variations
- 4
- Total in subtree
- 9
Generated from the data: the Lichess opening list and opening explorer. Know this line well? Write a description — submissions are reviewed before publishing.
Statistics from Lichess
601,949 games · White 48.9% / Draw 5.5% / Black 45.6%
| Moves | Games | W / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| e4 | 212,910 | |
| Bf4 | 88,906 | |
| Nd2 | 80,560 | |
| g3 | 78,037 | |
| Bg5 | 76,477 | |
| h3 | 48,526 | |
| e3 | 7,030 | |
| Qa4+ | 3,349 |
Source: Lichess Opening Explorer · cached 2026-09-26 02:34:55
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Variations (4)
Show all 9 sub-variations (full subtree)
- A70 Classical Variation 7 moves
- A61 Fianchetto Variation 7 moves
- A61 Knight's Tour Variation 7 moves
- A61 Uhlmann Variation 7 moves
- A71 Averbakh-Grivas Attack 8 moves
- A70 New York Variation 8 moves
- A70 Traditional Variation 8 moves
- A75 Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Argentine Counterattack 10 moves
- A78 Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Czerniak Defense 10 moves