Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Main 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
The Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Main Line is a chess opening classified as ECO A73, 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. It is a line of the Benoni Defense. Black is to move. 2 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 56 times by this move order. White won 52%, 9% were drawn and Black won 39%. The most popular continuation is 9… Bg4 (36% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.51 (Stockfish, depth 34; best line 9… Re8 10. Nd2 Na6 11. a4 Nc7 12. f3)
- ECO
- A73
- Moves
- 17 plies
- FEN
rnbq1rk1/pp3pbp/3p1np1/2pP4/4P3/2N2N2/PP2BPPP/R1BQ1RK1 b - - 5 9- 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
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 1500-1999 | 15 | |
| 2000+ | 41 | |
| All | 56 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 9… Bg4 | 20 (36%) | |
| 9… Re8 Classical Variation, Czerniak Defense (9. O-O Re8) | 19 (34%) | |
| 9… a6 | 12 (21%) | |
| 9… Na6 | 3 (5%) | |
| 9… b6 | 1 (2%) | |
| 9… Nfd7 | 1 (2%) |
Master games
47 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 36%, draw 34%, Black 30%). The strongest:
- FM Oleksii Bilych (2411) – GM Axel Bachmann (2604) 1-0 · Titled Tue 7th Feb Early · 2023-02-07
- IM Karina Ambartsumova (2406) – GM Alexandr Fier (2566) 1/2-1/2 · Titled Tue 9th Apr Early · 2024-04-09
- GM Irina Krush (2422) – GM Nana Dzagnidze (2515) 1-0 · 2nd Cairns Cup 2020 · 2020-02-16
- IM Novak Pezelj (2457) – IM Dusan Radovanovic (2321) 1-0 · 1st Liga Central SRB 2018 · 2018-09-14
- GM Naumkin, I. (2418) – Zhaoqi Liu (2300) 1/2-1/2 · 18th Prague Open 2019 · 2019-01-18
Search all games of the Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Main Line and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- FM bangalibabu (2472) – hierasousse (2544) 0-1 · 2026-09-07 · 180 + 0s
- pashka001 (2351) – terrorboy (2417) 0-1 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 2s
- ecolefrancaise (2400) – qu1t_wh1l3_4h34d (2360) 1-0 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Benoni Defense: Classical Variation (8. Be2 O-O) 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
Continuations
- Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Czerniak Defense (9. O-O Re8) A76 · 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
- Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, Full Line A74 · 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 a6 10. a4
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.