Benoni Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Hastings Defense
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Statistics from Lichess
14,065 games: White 50.8% / Draw 5.7% / Black 43.5%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 4,3514,351 | ||
| 2,3492,349 | ||
| 1,8501,850 | ||
| 1,6701,670 | ||
| 1,5101,510 | ||
| 1,1281,128 | ||
| 754754 | ||
| 167167 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 2, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.57 White is slightly better
Best play: 10. Bf4 Qe7 11. a4 a6 12. h3 Nh5 13. Bg5 f6 14. Bd2 f5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Benoni Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Hastings Defense (ECO A63, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Benoni Defense: Fianchetto Variation, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 c5 4. d5 exd5 5. cxd5 d6 6. Nc3 g6 7. Bg2 Bg7 8. Nf3 O-O 9. O-O Nbd7 (9 moves).
In 14,065 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 50.8%, Black 43.5% and 5.7% were drawn. White's most played move here is 10. Bf4, in 31% 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 Benoni Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Hastings Defense
10. Nd2 scores best for White: 55.6%, with White winning 53.4% and Black 42.2% of 1,850 games. The most played, 10. Bf4, scores 55.5% in 4,351 games, and 10. Bg5 scores lowest: 48.4%. Stockfish's first choice is 10. Bf4.
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Benoni Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Hastings Defense (A63)”. Lichess data as of 2 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/benoni-defense-fianchetto-variation-hastings-defense