Benoni Defense: Weenink Variation
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. dxc5 e6
The Benoni Defense: Weenink Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO A56, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. dxc5 e6. It is a line of the Benoni Defense. White is to move.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 244 times by this move order. White won 49%, 5% were drawn and Black won 46%. The most popular continuation is 4. Nc3 (39% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.03 (Stockfish, depth 60; best line 4. Be3 Qa5+ 5. Nd2 Bxc5 6. Bxc5 Qxc5)
- ECO
- A56
- Moves
- 6 plies
- FEN
rnbqkb1r/pp1p1ppp/4pn2/2P5/2P5/8/PP2PPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 4- PGN
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. dxc5 e6
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 17 | |
| 1500-1999 | 106 | |
| 2000+ | 121 | |
| All | 244 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 4. Nc3 | 94 (39%) | |
| 4. Nf3 | 47 (19%) | |
| 4. b4 | 40 (16%) | |
| 4. a3 | 15 (6%) | |
| 4. e3 | 13 (5%) | |
| 4. Be3 | 12 (5%) | |
| 4. g3 | 9 (4%) | |
| 4. Bg5 | 9 (4%) |
Master games
217 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 44%, draw 16%, Black 40%). The strongest:
- GM Teimour Radjabov (2723) – GM Diego Flores (2526) 1-0 · Titled Tue 2nd Jan Late · 2024-01-02
- GM Dmitrij Kollars (2635) – GM Oskar Wieczorek (2500) 1-0 · Titled Tue 1st Mar Late · 2022-03-01
- GM Alexey Sarana (2635) – GM Artur Gabrielian (2459) 1-0 · Titled Tuesday 21st Sept · 2021-09-21
- IM Rudik Makarian (2547) – GM Alexandr Fier (2534) 1-0 · Titled Tue 18th Mar Early · 2025-03-18
- GM Robert Hess (2639) – FM Igor Malakhov (2442) 0-1 · 23rd Czech Open Rapid · 2012-07-18
Search all games of the Benoni Defense: Weenink Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- archifoot (2541) – Schmargendorf (2631) 0-1 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- GM rhungaski (2635) – Pmik (2521) 1-0 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 2s
- archifoot (2492) – zanayer (2458) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Benoni Defense (2. c4 c5) 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5
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.