King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Benjamin Defense
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Statistics from Lichess
17,478 games: White 46.2% / Draw 6.4% / Black 47.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 4,6874,687 | ||
| 4,1774,177 | ||
| 2,3642,364 | ||
| 1,3901,390 | ||
| 839839 | ||
| 817817 | ||
| 744744 | ||
| 538538 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.58 White is slightly better
Best play: 8. h3 d5 9. a3 Qd8 10. Qb3 Qb6 11. Qa2 a5 12. Bf4 dxc4
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Benjamin Defense (ECO E61, Indian Defenses) is a variation of the King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Delayed Fianchetto, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. Nf3 d6 5. g3 O-O 6. Bg2 c6 7. O-O Qb6 (7 moves).
In 17,478 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 46.2%, Black 47.4% and 6.4% were drawn. White's most played move here is 8. e4, in 27% 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 King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Benjamin Defense
8. Qc2 scores best for White: 51.6%, with White winning 49.0% and Black 45.8% of 1,390 games. The most played answer, 8. e4, scores lowest: 48.1% in 4,687 games. Stockfish's first choice is 8. h3.
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. “King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Benjamin Defense (E61)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/kings-indian-defense-fianchetto-variation-benjamin-defense