Benoni Defense: King's Pawn Line, with Be3
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Statistics from Lichess
21,110 games: White 44.4% / Draw 4.3% / Black 51.3%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 17,91718K | ||
| 2,2092,209 | ||
| 415415 | ||
| 160160 | ||
| 6969 | ||
| 6161 | ||
| 5050 | ||
| 4646 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.15 The position is about equal
Best play: 8... O-O 9. Qd2 a6 10. a4 Re8 11. Be2 Qc7 12. Ra3 h5 13. Nd1
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Benoni Defense: King's Pawn Line, with Be3 (ECO A65, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Benoni Defense: King's Pawn Line, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 e6 4. Nc3 exd5 5. cxd5 d6 6. e4 g6 7. f3 Bg7 8. Be3 (8 moves).
In 21,110 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 44.4%, Black 51.3% and 4.3% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 8…O-O, in 85% 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 Pawn Line, with Be3
The most played answer, 8…O-O, also scores best for Black: 53.8%, with Black winning 51.6% and White 44.1% of 18K games. Of the main answers, 8…a6 scores lowest: 52.3%. Stockfish's first choice is also 8…O-O.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black'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 Pawn Line, with Be3 (A65)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/benoni-defense-kings-pawn-line-with-be3