Benoni Defense: Czech Benoni Defense
The Czech Benoni, also known as the Hromádka Benoni after Karel Hromádka, is 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e5. Read the guide
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Statistics from Lichess
396,187 games: White 45.0% / Draw 5.3% / Black 49.8%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 305,092305K | ||
| 60,90961K | ||
| 9,9129,912 | ||
| 7,7047,704 | ||
| 3,0583,058 | ||
| 2,6612,661 | ||
| 1,3961,396 | ||
| 1,2841,284 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 2, 2026
Engine evaluation
+1.22 White is better
Best play: 4. Nc3 d6 5. e4 h5 6. h4 g6 7. Be2 Qe7 8. Nf3 Bg4
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 Black: Black scores 46% under 1400, 50% at 2200 and up and 40% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 14K | |
| 1400–1799 | 66K | |
| 1800–2199 | 223K | |
| 2200 and up | 128K | |
| Masters, over the board | 3,030 |
Master games
- Anand, V. – Aronian, L.
- Ding Liren – Aronian, L.
- Ding Liren – Aronian, L.
- Wang, H. – Aronian, L.
- Giri, A. – Aronian, L.
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
Description
The Czech Benoni, also known as the Hromádka Benoni after Karel Hromádka, is 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e5. Black meets 3.d5 with ...e5, instead of 3...e6, the Modern Benoni, or 3...b5, the Benko Gambit.
Character
The Czech Benoni is more solid than the Modern Benoni, but also more passive. The middlegames that arise are characterised by much manoeuvring.
Plans for both sides
In most lines Black prepares a pawn break with ...b7–b5 on the queenside or ...f7–f5 on the kingside. White may set up with Nc3, e4, h3, Bd3, Nf3 and g4, gaining space on the kingside and preventing ...f5.
Who plays it
Grandmaster Ben Finegold often plays the Czech Benoni and notably beat Shakhriyar Mamedyarov with it.
The numbers
On Lichess Black wins 49.8% of the 396,187 games and White 45.0%. Under 1400 White is well ahead, 52.4% against 44.4%, and from 2200 up the results are level, 46.9% for Black against 46.4%. Masters have done better with White: in 3,030 games over the board White won 44.5%, Black 24.4%, and 31.1% were drawn.
Suggest an improvement or report a mistake
How to play against the Benoni Defense: Czech Benoni Defense
The most played answer, 4. Nc3, also scores best for White: 48.7%, with White winning 46.0% and Black 48.5% of 305K games. Of the main answers, 4. dxe6 scores lowest: 43.2%. Stockfish's first choice is also 4. Nc3.
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
Popularity by year
The Benoni Defense: Czech Benoni Defense has lost ground since 2016: 0.014% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.019% (its peak: 0.023% in 2018).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.019% | 6,830 |
| 2017 | 0.02% | 11,235 |
| 2018 | 0.023% | 17,869 |
| 2019 | 0.02% | 24,381 |
| 2020 | 0.017% | 49,598 |
| 2021 | 0.014% | 56,617 |
| 2022 | 0.015% | 55,964 |
| 2023 | 0.014% | 54,359 |
| 2024 | 0.014% | 49,113 |
| 2025 | 0.014% | 46,933 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.014% | 15,255 |
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 (1)
Sources
- History and theory: adapted from the Wikipedia article Benoni Defense, version of 1 August 2026, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Results: Lichess opening explorer, figures collected from September to November 2026.
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Benoni Defense: Czech Benoni Defense (A56)”. Lichess data as of 2 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/benoni-defense-czech-benoni-defense