Benoni Defense: Knight's Tour Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
80,623 games: White 52.7% / Draw 5.5% / Black 41.8%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 61,91062K | ||
| 10,03610K | ||
| 7,1147,114 | ||
| 626626 | ||
| 341341 | ||
| 316316 | ||
| 8383 | ||
| 4343 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 28, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.58 White is slightly better
Best play: 7... Bg7 8. e4 O-O 9. Be2 Na6 10. O-O Nc7 11. a4 Re8 12. f3
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Benoni Defense: Knight's Tour Variation (ECO A61, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Benoni Defense, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 c5 4. d5 exd5 5. cxd5 d6 6. Nc3 g6 7. Nd2 (7 moves).
In 80,623 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 52.7%, Black 41.8% and 5.5% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 7…Bg7, in 77% 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: Knight's Tour Variation
7…Nbd7 scores best for Black: 50.8%, with Black winning 47.8% and White 46.2% of 10K games. The most played answer, 7…Bg7, scores lowest: 43.7% in 62K games. Stockfish's first choice is 7…Bg7.
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: Knight's Tour Variation (A61)”. Lichess data as of 28 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/benoni-defense-knights-tour-variation