Benoni Defense: Four Pawns Attack, Main Line
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Statistics from Lichess
102,826 games: White 54.6% / Draw 4.6% / Black 40.7%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 58,93159K | ||
| 20,34720K | ||
| 15,52516K | ||
| 4,1174,117 | ||
| 3,1123,112 | ||
| 627627 | ||
| 3030 | ||
| 2626 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 28, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.15 The position is about equal
Best play: 10. e5 dxe5 11. fxe5 Ng4 12. e6 fxe6 13. d6 Nc6 14. O-O Bd7
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Benoni Defense: Four Pawns Attack, Main Line (ECO A69, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Benoni Defense: Four Pawns Attack, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 e6 4. Nc3 exd5 5. cxd5 d6 6. e4 g6 7. f4 Bg7 8. Nf3 O-O 9. Be2 Re8 (9 moves).
In 102,826 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 54.6%, Black 40.7% and 4.6% were drawn. White's most played move here is 10. e5, in 57% of those games.
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How to play against the Benoni Defense: Four Pawns Attack, Main Line
The most played answer, 10. e5, also scores best for White: 63.5%, with White winning 61.1% and Black 34.0% of 59K games. Of the main answers, 10. Qc2 scores lowest: 44.6%. Stockfish's first choice is also 10. e5.
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: Four Pawns Attack, Main Line (A69)”. Lichess data as of 28 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/benoni-defense-four-pawns-attack-main-line