Benoni Defense: Semi-Benoni
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Statistics from Lichess
333,823 games: White 48.6% / Draw 5.1% / Black 46.3%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 108,269108K | ||
| 84,85485K | ||
| 37,06437K | ||
| 34,30034K | ||
| 25,85726K | ||
| 9,7119,711 | ||
| 5,1105,110 | ||
| 4,9414,941 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+1.39 White is better
Best play: 4. a4 Be7 5. Nd2 Nf6 6. Ne2 Na6 7. Nc3 O-O 8. Nc4 Ne8
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: Black scores 47% under 1400, 46% at 2200 and up and 33% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 28K | |
| 1400–1799 | 72K | |
| 1800–2199 | 184K | |
| 2200 and up | 103K | |
| Masters, over the board | 1,594 |
Master games
- Aronian, L. – Caruana, F.
- Dubov, D. – Ponkratov, P.
- Sokolov, I. – Morozevich, A.
- Hertneck, G. – Jussupow, A.
- Sakaev, K. – Bezgodov, A.
Rated blitz, rapid and classical Lichess games by rating band, and over-the-board games of players rated 2200+ from the Lichess masters database, updated Sep 27, 2026
Overview
Benoni Defense: Semi-Benoni (ECO A44, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Benoni Defense: Old Benoni, reached after 1. d4 c5 2. d5 e5 3. e4 d6 (3 moves).
In 333,823 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.6%, Black 46.3% and 5.1% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. c4, in 32% 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: Semi-Benoni
4. Nc3 scores best for White: 54.3%, with White winning 51.6% and Black 43.0% of 85K games. The most played answer, 4. c4, scores lowest: 48.1% in 108K games. Stockfish's first choice is 4. a4.
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
Popularity by year
The Benoni Defense: Semi-Benoni peaked in 2018 at 0.016% of Lichess games and has slipped since: 0.013% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.014% | 5,014 |
| 2017 | 0.015% | 8,358 |
| 2018 | 0.016% | 12,746 |
| 2019 | 0.014% | 17,377 |
| 2020 | 0.013% | 37,625 |
| 2021 | 0.011% | 43,901 |
| 2022 | 0.012% | 46,085 |
| 2023 | 0.013% | 48,468 |
| 2024 | 0.013% | 46,755 |
| 2025 | 0.013% | 46,438 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.013% | 14,761 |
Share of rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 (blitz, rapid and classical) that reach this position, by year; 2026: January to April. Which openings are rising and falling
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Benoni Defense: Semi-Benoni (A44)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/benoni-defense-semi-benoni