Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Czerniak Defense (10… Na6 11. f3)
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 e6 4. Nc3 exd5 5. cxd5 d6 6. e4 g6 7. Nf3 Bg7 8. Be2 O-O 9. O-O Re8 10. Nd2 Na6 11. f3
The Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Czerniak Defense is a chess opening classified as ECO A79, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 e6 4. Nc3 exd5 5. cxd5 d6 6. e4 g6 7. Nf3 Bg7 8. Be2 O-O 9. O-O Re8 10. Nd2 Na6 11. f3. It is a line of the Benoni Defense. Black is to move.
This exact move order didn't appear in our sample of 12.6 million Lichess games: it's a rare line.
Engine evaluation: +0.68 (Stockfish, depth 42; best line 11… Nc7 12. a4 b6 13. Kh1 Qe7 14. Nc4)
- ECO
- A79
- Moves
- 21 plies
- FEN
r1bqr1k1/pp3pbp/n2p1np1/2pP4/4P3/2N2P2/PP1NB1PP/R1BQ1RK1 b - - 0 11- PGN
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 e6 4. Nc3 exd5 5. cxd5 d6 6. e4 g6 7. Nf3 Bg7 8. Be2 O-O 9. O-O Re8 10. Nd2 Na6 11. f3
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Master games
6 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 50%, draw 17%, Black 33%). The strongest:
- GM Alin-Mile Berescu (2461) – IM Dimitar Marholev (2329) 1-0 · Grand Europe Open Albena · 2013-06-05
- FM Franciszek Sernecki (2243) – IM Michael Kopylov (2407) 1/2-1/2 · 16th Baltic Pearl IM · 2020-06-29
- FM Friedrich, Dr. Baumbach (2193) – FM Nils-Ake Malmdin (2174) 1-0 · World Senior Teams +65 · 2016-07-03
- Sarah Scott (1887) – IM Dejan Brankovic (2377) 0-1 · Orbis IM 2018 · 2018-07-15
- FM Jan Gombac (2253) – Nejc Herega (1902) 1-0 · 24th HIT Open 2019 · 2019-01-27
Search all games of the Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Czerniak Defense and its sub-variations
Comes from
Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Czerniak Defense, Tal Line 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 e6 4. Nc3 exd5 5. cxd5 d6 6. e4 g6 7. Nf3 Bg7 8. Be2 O-O 9. O-O Re8 10. Nd2
More Benoni Defense lines (all)
- Benoni Defense: Franco-Sicilian Hybrid A40
- Benoni Defense: Benoni Gambit Accepted A43
- Benoni Defense: Benoni Gambit, Schlenker Defense A43
- Benoni Defense: Benoni-Indian Defense A43
- Benoni Defense: Benoni-Indian Defense, Kingside Move Order A43
- Benoni Defense: Benoni-Staunton Gambit A43
- Benoni Defense: Cormorant Gambit A43
- Benoni Defense: French Benoni A43
- Benoni Defense: Hawk Variation A43
- Benoni Defense: Old Benoni (1. d4 c5) A43
- Benoni Defense: Old Benoni (1… c5 2. d5) A43
- Benoni Defense: Old Benoni (2. d5 d6) A43
Opening names and moves from the Lichess openings dataset; statistics from the Lichess open database, 2026-09 (CC0), sample of 12.6 million games, bots excluded; evaluations from Lichess cloud analysis (all CC0). Master games from The Week in Chess #920–#1664 by Mark Crowther, used with permission.