Vulture Defense
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Statistics from Lichess
64,492 games: White 42.7% / Draw 5.5% / Black 51.8%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 20,59021K | ||
| 14,05914K | ||
| 8,7398,739 | ||
| 7,7937,793 | ||
| 4,9084,908 | ||
| 4,1844,184 | ||
| 1,2701,270 | ||
| 939939 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 9, 2026
Engine evaluation
+1.33 White is better
Best play: 4. Qc2 Nf6 5. e4 d6 6. Be2 g6 7. Nc3 Bg7 8. Nf3 O-O
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Vulture Defense (ECO A56, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Benoni Defense, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 Ne4 (3 moves).
In 64,492 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 42.7%, Black 51.8% and 5.5% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. f3, 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 Vulture Defense
4. Qc2 scores best for White: 50.0%, with White winning 47.4% and Black 47.4% of 14K games. The most played answer, 4. f3, scores lowest: 42.5% in 21K games. Stockfish's first choice is also 4. Qc2.
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. “Vulture Defense (A56)”. Lichess data as of 9 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/vulture-defense