Benoni Defense: Hawk Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
6,696 games: White 55.6% / Draw 3.9% / Black 40.5%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 3,2023,202 | ||
| 947947 | ||
| 688688 | ||
| 420420 | ||
| 373373 | ||
| 221221 | ||
| 219219 | ||
| 147147 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 6, 2026
Engine evaluation
+1.43 White is better
Best play: 4. e4 Nxe4 5. Bxc4 d6 6. O-O g6 7. Re1 Nf6 8. Bf4 a6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Benoni Defense: Hawk Variation (ECO A43, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Indian Defense: Spielmann-Indian, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 c5 3. d5 c4 (3 moves).
In 6,696 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 55.6%, Black 40.5% and 3.9% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. Nc3, in 48% 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: Hawk Variation
4. e4 scores best for White: 60.5%, with White winning 59.5% and Black 38.6% of 373 games. The most played, 4. Nc3, scores 59.3% in 3,202 games, and 4. c3 scores lowest: 53.3%. Stockfish's first choice is also 4. e4.
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
Transpositions
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Benoni Defense: Hawk Variation (A43)”. Lichess data as of 6 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/benoni-defense-hawk-variation