Benoni Defense: King's Indian System
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Statistics from Lichess
66,341 games: White 48.2% / Draw 5.2% / Black 46.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 16,29316K | ||
| 9,3909,390 | ||
| 8,9298,929 | ||
| 7,5627,562 | ||
| 6,9916,991 | ||
| 5,5325,532 | ||
| 4,4154,415 | ||
| 3,4963,496 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 1, 2026
Engine evaluation
+1.31 White is better
Best play: 6. Be2 h5 7. h4 Qe7 8. Bg5 Bh6 9. g3 a6 10. Qc1 Qf8
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Benoni Defense: King's Indian System (ECO A56, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Benoni Defense: Czech Benoni Defense, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 e5 4. Nc3 d6 5. e4 g6 (5 moves).
In 66,341 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.2%, Black 46.6% and 5.2% were drawn. White's most played move here is 6. Bd3, in 25% 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: King's Indian System
6. Be2 scores best for White: 54.5%, with White winning 51.9% and Black 42.8% of 6,991 games. The most played, 6. Bd3, scores 50.4% in 16K games, and 6. Bg5 scores lowest: 46.7%. Stockfish's first choice is also 6. Be2.
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: King's Indian System (A56)”. Lichess data as of 1 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/benoni-defense-kings-indian-system