Benoni Defense: King's Pawn Line, with Nge2
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Statistics from Lichess
10,150 games: White 47.8% / Draw 5.1% / Black 47.1%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 8,6368,636 | ||
| 870870 | ||
| 239239 | ||
| 159159 | ||
| 101101 | ||
| 3838 | ||
| 3737 | ||
| 2525 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.22 The position is about equal
Best play: 8... a6 9. a4 O-O 10. Ng3 Nbd7 11. Be2 Rb8 12. O-O Ne8 13. Be3
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 Nge2 (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. Nge2 (8 moves).
In 10,150 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.8%, Black 47.1% and 5.1% 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 Nge2
8…a6 scores best for Black: 51.6%, with Black winning 49.2% and White 46.0% of 870 games. The most played answer, 8…O-O, scores lowest: 49.5% in 8,636 games. Stockfish's first choice is also 8…a6.
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 Nge2 (A65)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/benoni-defense-kings-pawn-line-with-nge2