Caissa Codex
A78

Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Czerniak Defense 10. Nd2 Na6

Chess diagram: Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Czerniak Defense after 10…Na6

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Statistics from Lichess

11,358 games: White 47.4% / Draw 5.4% / Black 47.2%

The moves played next. Pick one to see it on the board.
Next moveGamesWhite / Draw / BlackW / D / B
Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Czerniak Defense 3,6853,685
2,1872,187
1,0971,097
788788
721721
692692
685685
622622

Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026

Engine evaluation

+0.78 White is better

Best play: 11. f3 Nc7 12. a4 b6 13. Kh1 Rb8 14. Nc4 Ba6 15. Bg5 Bxc4

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

Overview

Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Czerniak Defense (ECO A78, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Traditional Variation, reached after 1. 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 Na6 (10 moves).

In 11,358 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.4%, Black 47.2% and 5.4% were drawn. White's most played move here is 11. f3, in 32% of those games.

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How to answer 10…Na6

The most played answer, 11. f3 (Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Czerniak Defense), also scores best for White: 54.3%, with White winning 51.3% and Black 42.8% of 3,685 games. Of the main answers, 11. f4 scores lowest: 43.9%. Stockfish's first choice is also 11. f3.

Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings

Other lines from the same position

Instead of 8…O-O 9. O-O Re8 10. Nd2 Na6, the position after Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Traditional Variation also goes on to:

Transpositions

This position is also reached from these lines, by another move order:

From here, a move transposes into another named line:

Cite this page

Caissa Codex. “Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Czerniak Defense (A78)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/benoni-defense-classical-variation-czerniak-defense-2

https://chesscodex.org/openings/benoni-defense-classical-variation-czerniak-defense-2